8 Ways To Say I Love You
by eloquences
Summary: Eli Goldsworthy spontaneously finds 8 ways to tell Clare Edwards that he love's her. By the time he reaches number 8, will she say it, too? Rated M.
1. The First Way To Say I Love You

**Eli and Clare are in their early twenties. Roughly twenty-one for Clare and twenty-two for Eli, I guess. **

**Rating: M. You'll figure it out soon enough. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi. Just Eli's boxers.**

* * *

_1. Spit it into her voicemail, a little slurred and sounding like the shot of whiskey you downed for courage. Feel as ashamed as you do walking into work in last night's clothes. Wake up cringing for days, waiting for her to mention it._

* * *

"Have you seen my left shoe?" Eli calls out to the kitchen. His eyes scan the room, and he feels confused as to where it could be because it's not his room; it's hers. He can't remember where he had thrown it the previous night.

"Check under the bed," Clare calls in from the kitchen.

Eli kneels on the floor and bends over to look under the bed, and sure enough his shoe is there. He reaches for it, wondering how she knew it would be there but doesn't question it. Instead he just shoves it on his left foot, hopping towards the door. He walks out of the room and down the hallway, smiling as the kitchen comes into view.

He watches her from behind, taking note of the way her hips are swaying softly from side to side; something she tends to do when she's concentrated on something. Clare's wearing Eli's white button down shirt, the one he uses for work, and just her panties. Eli smirks, thinking about telling her to take the shirt off so he can see her breasts once more before he goes off to work, even though he had done much more than stare at them the previous night.

She reaches up into the cupboard to grab two coffee mugs and, as she does the shirt rises up a bit exposing her bottom, Eli bites his bottom lip. She continues making the coffee and pours it into the two mugs; one for him and one for her. She starts pouring sugar and cream into hers, leaving the other black for Eli, just the way he likes it. Clare knows he's watching her, and she hums softly to herself, because last night was just so amazing, making her feel giddy inside. She was glowing and if she concentrated hard enough, she could still feel his touch.

"Are you staring or admiring?" She asks with a smile, though her back is still turned towards him.

He smirks and begins walking towards her with slow strides. "A little bit of both."

Clare turns around to face him and places a hand on his chest before he could get too close to her, handing him his coffee. They both take a sip, their eyes glued to one another's.

He's thinking about her hair; how could it be so messy and so sexy at the same time? Sex hair sure wasn't an attractive thing, though he found it absolutely adorable on her. He was the reason it was such a mess in the first place, and he felt smug because he knew it. He remembered his lanky fingers being curled in her hair for a large portion of the night before, his mind filled with too much passion to remove them.

She's thinking about his lips; how is it that they are shaped so perfectly? They were a perfect cupid's arrow, making it so easy for his lips to mold perfectly with hers. Oh, she loves his lips. And she misses them dearly, even though she had kissed him the previous night more times than there are stars in the sky.

"Shit," Eli hisses as he removes the mug from his lips, looking down at his chest, which had coffee slowly dribbling down it. He had been too concentrated on Clare and had forgotten how to drink properly.

But suddenly Clare's lips were attacking his flesh, her tongue licking up the hot liquid. Eli nearly drops his mug on the floor at the feeling of Clare's hair tickling his chest, along with her teeth, tongue and lips. She's licking her way up his chest, kissing and nibbling here and there. Her hand finds the back of his neck just as her mouth find the front, and his hand is quivering; why does the counter have to be so far away? If they were at his place he would drop the mug without a second thought to it, but they were at Clare's and he figured he'd ruin the mood if he were to break one of her mugs and spill coffee everywhere in the process.

So he tangles his fingers in her hair as she's sucking on his neck and pulls her head back, making her look up at him. Her lips are pursed and her eyes are dilated; oh god he wants her so bad.

Pressing his body against hers he pushes her backwards until they hit the counter and he hastily puts the mug down before gripping her legs in his hands, lifting her up on the counter. She pushes her mug behind her as well and reaches up to cup his face. Before she can taste his lips they are on her neck, his fingers pushing her hair out of the way.

"Eli," she breathes and her fingernails dig into his back softly when he moves his lips to her breasts softly. "You're going to be late for work."

He unbuttons his shirt that is currently hanging on Clare's shoulders and kisses down the valley of her breasts, throwing it behind him when he reaches the last button.

"Then late I shall be," he says, bringing his face up to hers and their tongues meet. He tastes like cigarettes and coffee, she notices.

Clare kisses him feverishly, her hands on either sides of his face. Eli pulls her close and presses himself to her core, earning a gasp from the small girl. One hand is pressed to the small of her back while the other is under her right leg, holding her up as he thrusts against her. He's trying to create some friction between the two, and she lets him because her mind is already falling into the depths of Elijah Goldsworthy.

"God," Clare gasps, thrusting herself against him.

"Cursing the Lords name in vein? Tsk, tsk, tsk, what am I going to do with you, Clare?" Eli grunts, his hot breath hitting her face. She glances up at him with lips parted and heavy breathing, and he nearly collapses to the ground from her stare; it's intense and corruptive and he's never seen her eyes so dark and sexy.

"Anything you want," she replies in a whisper, her words dripping with lust.

Eli moans and lifts her from the counter, dropping to the floor and laying her down. His hands are already on the button of his pants, undoing it and unzipping the zipper as fast as his hands would go. He pauses briefly when he notices her hand slipping down her exposed torso and further down south. He holds his breath as she begins to softly rub herself over her panties, and for a moment he contemplates just watching her, but when memories of last night begin flooding his mind he grabs her leg and pulls her towards him roughly. A laugh bubbles from her throat and fills the room, bouncing off the walls and into his ears, earning a lazy smile from himself.

Clare sighs and watches as he pulls his pants down, "God, you're so sexy. Have I ever told you that before?"

Eli smirks and tugs his boxers down, "Once or twice."

Her panties are next and she lifts her bottom to help him out, bringing her hand up to run it through her hair. He leans over her and places his hand beside her head as she stares up at him. She watches as he looks down and aligns himself at her entrance, staring at him with admiration. The way he bites his lip in concentration is mesmerising.

She moans softly as he slides into her, gripping his arm with one hand and hip with the other. He begins to thrust into her and start a steady rhythm between them. Leaning down to place his lips on her neck, he moves his hips according to her moans, trying to please her as much as he could while still pleasing himself. His teeth are nibbling on her neck when he hears her sigh softly, and he could tell she was about to speak, because that certainly wasn't a pleasure filled sigh. That was a _I've been thinking too much_ kind of sigh.

"I think you're amazing, Eli," she says, and continues, "I think you're more than that, actually. I think you're incredible."

Eli lifts his head to kiss her lips and leans back to stare into her eyes, his hips slowing down softly. He begins to let himself be consumed by the amount of passion she is giving him, and opens his mouth to let her know how he feels at that exact moment. It's a simple three letter worded sentence. He's sure it was the right time and he's sure she would respond with the same three words, but he closes his mouth and kisses her instead.

And he hated himself for missing his chance.

* * *

Walking out of the elevator and towards his desk he ignores the stares from his coworkers. They stop what they are doing and stare at him as he walks past them, their eyes scanning up and down. He's late, but that's not all. Some notice the hickeys on his neck, some notice the way his hair is tousled, and others notice the way his smirk is smugger this morning.

Because Eli Goldsworthy is in yesterday's clothes.

* * *

He stares at his phone and bites his bottom lip softly.

Eli's sitting in his recliner chair at home, the hockey game on TV, a glass of whiskey on the table next to him. And yet, his eyes are glued to the phone on the coffee table. He's been staring at it for ten minutes now and hasn't had enough courage to pick it up and dial her number yet.

It's nearly two in the morning and he knows she's fast asleep, which is probably the best time to do it. This way she won't have the chance to respond negatively right away, which will give him enough time to think of an apology if needed be.

Taking another shot of whiskey, he picks up the phone and dials her number. His palms are sweaty and he waits for her voicemail.

_You've reached Clare Edwards. Sorry I couldn't answer your call but I'll be sure to get back to you. Leave a message. Bye!_

The beep rings in Eli's ear and he's speechless for about three seconds before he realizes what he called her for.

"Hi," he breathes into the phone. "I have something to tell you."

His mind is twisting and his heart is racing and he knows he doesn't have much time, so he figures it's best to just spit it out.

"This won't be the last time," he slurs into the phone, and continues, "but I just wanted to tell you that I love you. You're probably sleeping right now, but when you wake up tomorrow and listen to this, I'll still feel the same way. I hope you know that, Clare. I love you."

And then he hangs up.

He stares at the phone with a monotone expression before it dawns on him.

"What did I just do?"

* * *

It had been three days before Clare had brought up Eli's drunken voicemail he had left her. He was beginning to think that it didn't work and she hadn't received it, and he was slightly relieved because that meant he would get a second chance. But as they sat outside of The Dot drinking coffee, she had brought it up and Eli cringed.

"Did you mean it?" She asks, and Eli picks at the cardboard cup in his hands. He nods once, his eyes focused on the drop of coffee spilling from the lid. "You said it wouldn't be the last time."

He clears his throat and says, "I figured once wasn't enough."

She waits for a second and stares at him. He makes the mistake of looking up at her because she's staring at him with such intensity that makes him want to curl under a rock. He's not sure if she's going to break up with him or kiss him until he forgets his name. He'd rather the ladder.

"Well?" She speaks up. "Are you going to say it again?"

He looks up and sees the tiniest smile on her lips and that's when he knows they'll be okay. He gains more confidence and sits up straighter.

"Not today, love. I'm quite spontaneous, and I think I'll say it when the time is right."

"When will the time be right?" She asks.

He grins," Only time will tell," and brings the cup of coffee to his lips.


	2. The Second Way To Say I Love You

**Thank you for the reviews and favorites and alerts! I'm glad you guys like this story. This chapter isn't as long as the other, and a few more chapters may not be very long, but I'll try to make them as long as possible. **

**I didn't read this over, so I'm sorry for any grammar mistakes. **

**READ: Clare and Eli did not date in high school. They have only been dating for about a year, but they haven't exchanged the words 'I love you' yet, even though they both know they love each other. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi or the band Issues or their songs, unfortunately. **

**Review and tell me what you think! I greatly appreciate reviews. :)**

* * *

_2. Sigh it into her mouth, wedged in between teeth and tongues. Don't even let your lips move when you say it, ever so lightly, into the air. Maybe it was just and exhalation of ecstasy._

* * *

"Dance with me!" Bianca DeSousa squealed to her friend, Imogen Moreno, and pulled her to the dance floor. Drew Torres and Fiona Coyne looked at each other and shrugged before following their girlfriends out onto the dance floor, disappearing into the crowed. Katie Matlin looked to her boyfriend, Jake Martin, and he rolled his eyes, knowing exactly that she wanted to go join the group of friends already on the dance floor. He took one more shot of tequila and let Katie drag him into the crowed with the rest of their friends.

"Care to dance?" Becky Baker yelled over the loud music to her boyfriend, Adam Torres. He looked at her and nodded, grabbing her hand and pushing through the crowed to find the others.

In the back of the club there was one more couple sitting at the bar, smiling as they watched their friends let go and dance to the upbeat music. Eli turns back to his can of Coca Cola and takes a sip. Clare turns back to her own drink, although her beverage is a Sex on the Beach. Eli had decided that he wouldn't be drinking tonight, wanting to be the designated driver for the evening.

"Are you sure you done want a drink?" Clare asks from beside him, her hand resting on top of his. He turns to look at her. "You worked all week and you could use a break. We could call a cab instead."

Eli narrows his eyes, "And leave Morty here? Yeah, I don't think so." He smirks at her and she rolls her eyes. "Besides, I already told Fiona and Imogen I'd be giving them a ride home."

He takes another sip of his Cola and taps his foot to the beat of the current song, pretending that his ears aren't bleeding from the noise these people call music. Clare purses her lips and stands to her feet, wrapping her arm over his shoulders while his wraps around her waist, pulling her into his side. He looks up at her and she sighs.

"Fine. But will you at least dance with me for a bit?" She pouts her bottom lip and Eli lets his head fall back as an annoyed groan escapes his lips.

"Sure," he finally agrees and Clare squeals with excitement, turning to down the rest of her drink. Eli tugs her back to him when she's done and stands up, "But kiss me first."

Clare grins and jumps on her tippy toes to give him a sloppy yet passionate kiss. She releases him and he follows her into the crowed, seemingly satisfied.

They find the rest of the gang and they all begin to dance to the pop song playing above. They dance and grind and sweat and touch and everyone seems to be having a good time. They laugh and sing along to the lyrics, aside from Eli who is only concentrated on the way Clare's hips are moving against his own. Her hands are tangled in his hair as she's dancing and she smiles lazily at him.

She's drunk.

* * *

"Bye guys!" Imogen hollers at Eli and Clare through the car window as she and Fiona make their way to Fiona's loft. Clare and Eli wave and begin to drive away, making their way home. Eli sighs in bliss as he reaches over to turn on his music, popping in a CD. Clare perks up and turns to look at him.

"Can you play _Her Monologue_? Please? Please, oh pretty please?" Clare begs and pouts, batting her eyelashes. Eli looks at her and chuckles; he'd say yes anyways, yet she still insist on shooting the puppy dog look his way.

Eli reaches over to change the song to track seven and Clare grins, looking as if she had just won the lottery. She sits back in her seat and closes her eyes, waiting for the lyrics to come on.

"_Being alone,_" she sings. "_Are you scared of being alone? Worried you'll be a shadow, terrified of getting old?_" Eli smiles to himself when the screaming beings and Clare starts moving her head and arms to the beat of the music. Eli's thumbs are tapping against the steering wheel, his head banging softly to the music.

"_Move a little closer,_" Clare sings as she slides over to Eli. He casts a glance her way before focusing on the road again. "What are you afraid of?" Her fingers trace his jaw softly and Eli smirks. "_Set the night on fire, and baby burn it up._"

When Clare places her hands on Eli's chest, he bites his lips softly.

_She's drunk, she's drunk, she's drunk_, he keeps reminding himself.

"_Tattooed on your chest,_" Clare rubs her hands up and down his chest as she sings, and Eli grips the wheel, chuckling softly. "_I.S.S.U.E.S, Move a little closer, what are you afraid of?_"

Eli lets out a breath hid hadn't known he was holding in when she removes herself from him, giggling drunkenly. Soon enough they arrive to Eli's apartment. Earlier that night they had agreed that Clare would be staying there for the night since Eli had stayed at hers last time.

They exit the vehicle and Eli is quick to be by Clare's side, holding her up as she stumbles. He helps her walk and she is laughing, and though he didn't know why, he thought it was cute. She stops suddenly and turns to him, placing her hands on his chest.

"Thank you for introducing me to that song," she slurs. He smirks at her and gives a nod. Her hands slide to the back of his neck and into his hair. "God, why are you so handsome, Eli?"

Eli snorts, "You're fucked." Clare looks at him oddly and steps back. He rushes to explain, "No, I mean, like, you're wasted."

Clare nods softly and then laughs, "I'm tanked, Eli."

He laughs and wraps his arm around her shoulders, helping her up to his apartment. Once they enter his home, he locks the door as she takes off her shoes. She wobbles her way to his room and slides her pants off. Eli shakes his head with a grin as he slides his leather jacket off. He throws his keys on the table and follows Clare into his room, taking notice of her near naked form. If it weren't for her bra and panties, she'd be completely nude before him. She's dancing slightly as she reaches for one of his shirts from his closet, lyrics to an _Issues_ song spilling form her lips softly.

He strips out of his jeans and shirt, pulling on a pair of pajama pants. Clare dances her way over to him and looks at the pants hanging from his hips.

She tugs on them and says, "These are unnecessary, take them off."

Eli blinks and looks down, shrugging and removes them, leaving him clad in only his boxers. She climbs in bed and he turns the light off before following her and climbing under his covers. Just as his head hits the pillow Clare's lips are attacking his and he widens his eyes, shocked. He pushes her back, looking at her oddly.

"Clare,"

"What?"

"You're drunk."

"You're cute."

"I'm confused."

"I'm yours."

Eli smiles and lets out a single laugh. Clare smiles sweetly, her eyes zeroing on his outline; it was too dark to see him completely with the light off.

"Eli?"

"Yeah?"

"Kiss me."

And so he does. He leans up and captures her lips with his, her hand reaching up to run her fingers through her hair. His reaches up to push some curls behind her ear before resting on her shoulder softly. She grips his hair in her hand and rolls her hips forward, moaning softly into his mouth. He makes a mental note, reminding himself that she is drunk and that he will not let it go farther than a heated make-out session.

He grasps her hips and holds them firmly, making sure she won't be able to persuade him into going any further than he intends. She's moaning and silently begging for him to touch her, but he respects her too much to take advantage of this moment, though he would love more than anything to do.

Eli decides that he won't have full control over this situation while she is straddling him, so he swiftly flips them over and grips her wrists in his hands, holding them above her head. Their lips have separated and she's breathing heavily, her eyes half lidded and her heart beating like a hummingbird. He's trying to regain his posture and keep himself intact, all while trying to make the girl before him happy.

He kisses her again and she's able to taste the Coca Cola from earlier. Her hands slip lower and she intertwines their fingers, his hand gripping hers. His tongue is longing for hers and when they tangle them together, he moans into her. She arches into him and he presses his body to hers, loving the way they mold together like pieces of a puzzle. She's his other half and he knows this. Every time he looks at her he is reminded that she is the one for him, whether she knows it or not.

Eli pulls back softly, but not far enough for their lips to be completely un-touching. Their lips graze each other's and she waits for him to make a move, or say something, or laugh or cry, but he just sits there. He knows what he's about to do and he wonders if she does, too. But he can tell by her breathing that she's waiting for something other than what he has in mind.

"I love you," he exhales softly, his lips barely even moving. For a moment she thinks that she imagined it because it was so quiet, but by the way his fingers are softly rubbing hers, she knows he had said it. She lets his words wedge between her teeth and dance on her tongue, her heart rate accelerating.

It had been a few days since he had last told her and she was beginning to get impatient, though she would never tell him that. She was starting to think that maybe he wouldn't say it again, and it had made her sad to think that the only time he would tell her he loved her was through a voicemail.

But he had said it again. This time in person, too.

She's in ecstasy.

"Don't leave me," she whispers, and Eli frowns. Not for the fact that she hadn't said those three words back, that didn't bother him, but because she sounded so sad that it broke his heart. He didn't like the fact that she would even think that he would ever leave her.

"Never," he reassures, and moves to lie beside her.

Clare sighs and rolls on her side to face Eli, who pulls her into his chest. He can feel her body relax and her heart rate slowing down; she's tired.

"Say it again," she says softly, her eyes closed and hand placed on his bare chest.

He smirks lazily, his eyes closed and breathing soft. "Another day, love."


	3. The Third Way To Say I Love You

**I think I'll be updating every day since I'm as sick as a dog and it's the holidays and all I seem to be doing is writing. And I want to finish this before I get bored of it. **

**Thanks for the reviews! You guys are awesome. **

_**ilovetaylorswift13**_**: He was scared because he was drunk and over thinking everything. That's why he was scared. Silly Eli. :)**

**Enjoy! :D**

* * *

_3. Buy her flowers. Buy her chocolate. Buy her a teddy bear, because that's what every romantic comedy has taught you. Take her out to a nice restaurant where neither of you feel comfortable and spend the whole night clearing your throat and tugging at your tie. Feel like your actions are more suited to a proposal than the simple confession of something you've always known._

* * *

Clare Edwards had had a long day. She was late for work, her boss was being a douche and her coworkers seemed to be bitchier than usual. She was exhausted; the only thing she could think of as she opened the door to her apartment building was the bath she would be having tonight before bed.

As she began to walk up the stairs she narrowed her eyes at the bouquet of flowers sitting on the top stair. She knelt down to pick them up, wanting to know who they belonged to. If she knew the person she would be happy to deliver them. But when her eyes caught sight of her name on the card, she widened her eyes.

_Clare, _

_Keep walking._

She held the flowers in her hands and did as the card told her, making her way to her apartment. She stopped when her eyes caught something else on the ground. Kneeling down and taking a better look she realized what it was. A box of chocolates. And there was a card.

_Look up._

Raising her eyes she looked down the hallway, all the way to the door of her apartment to see none other than Eli Goldsworthy standing there with something in his hands. She grabbed the box of chocolates and made her way towards him, her steps slow and easy.

As she stepped in front of him he looked up. She couldn't help but smile at him, even though she was confused. Never in her life had she imagined Eli Goldsworthy would do anything remotely close to this. He held up the item in his hands and Clare looked at it, laughing softly. He held a teddy bear with its hands locked together, holding a card that read _Date Night?_

She smiled, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Can you answer mine?"

Ignoring him, she asked, "Why are you so cute?"

He smirked, "I've learned a thing or two from all those romantic comedies you forced me to watch with you."

"So what you're saying is that if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have thought of this?"

Eli bent his knees, "Ugh, you're so difficult. See, this is why I don't do these kinds of things."

He was teasing and she knew this, making her laugh softly.

"Maybe that's why I'm so difficult," she smirked. Eli rolled his eyes and shoved the teddy bear in her face before making his way down the hall. She turned to look at him, her arms overflowing with the items he had bought her. "Where are you going? I didn't answer yet!"

"Pick you up at eight!" he hollers back, already halfway down the hallway.

He smirks when he hears her laugh and walks down the stairs to exit the building. Clare turns and opens the door to her apartment with much difficulty, placing the items on her table. She's grinning like a fool as she thinks of how sweet Eli is. She wonders what he has up his sleeve but lets the thought go, knowing it would be much better if he were to surprise her.

* * *

"Whoa," Eli breathes softly when he lays his eyes upon Clare. She's wearing a slim black dress that hugs her curves perfectly, and Eli's palms are all of a sudden beginning to sweat. Her eyes are bright and looking at him with such adoration he doesn't know what to do. He hasn't taken her on a date in a long time and he forgot the effect it has on him every time.

"You're wearing a tie," she notices and tugs at it slightly. She's smiling beautifully and Eli clears his throat.

"Is that bad?" he asks.

"No," she smiles. "It can be very useful."

He doesn't have much time to think about what she means because she's already pulled him close to her by the tie, showing him exactly what she was referring to.

He swallows.

"You're making me nervous," he blurts breathlessly.

She frowns softly, "I'm sorry."

Eli chuckles softly, "Don't be. I just really want to kiss you." She smiles and leans up to kiss him but he moves to kiss her cheek. His lips find her ear, "After the date."

He ignores her playful glare and closes her door, making sure it's locked. Grabbing her hand he pulls her down the hallway and out of the building to Morty.

* * *

Entering the restaurant Clare looks around in amazement. In the whole year they have been together Eli has not once brought her to such a fancy place. Mostly because she had told him that she thinks wasting such a large amount of money on a meal is stupid. But for some reason he had decided to take her to one of the most expensive restaurants in town. She wasn't going to complain, but she felt a little out of place.

A waiter brought them to their table and they both sat down across from each other, thanking him. He took their beverage order and left them to decide what they wanted for their appetizers and main course.

"Well this is new," Clare spoke up, watching Eli carefully.

He cleared his throat, "Uh, yeah."

She watches as he rubs his hands subtly on his pants legs. He's fidgeting in his seat and can't seem to look her in the eyes. Is he nervous? What on earth could he be nervous about?

The waiter comes back with their drinks and gives them more time to decide what they would like to eat.

"Are you okay?" She asks as she leans closer to him. She's worried about him.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" he smiles at her and she lets it go. He obviously does not want to share what is on his mind and she respects that.

She reaches for her glass of water and takes a sip. The waiter comes back and they order, deciding to just start with their mains and skip the appetizers. Clare chose something she would enjoy and is still fairly cheap, not completely okay with the fact that he had chosen to take her _here_ for their date.

Few words were spoken, and when their food had arrived neither of them spoke. Clare felt very awkward and Eli didn't know what the hell he was doing. He knows she hates places like this and yet he still decided that this was the place to have their date. Smooth move, Eli.

Clare ate her food quietly, unsure of what she could possibly say to start up a conversation. She felt out of place and very uncomfortable; not because of him but because of the situation they were in. Looking up at him, Clare realized that she felt as if Eli was acting the way a man would if he were going to propose. He cleared his throat every five minutes and tugged at his tie constantly. He was acting very weird.

By the time they were done and were making their way outside of the restaurant, Eli turned to her and sighed.

"You didn't like it, did you?"

Clare turned to look at him, quick to argue, "No Eli, it was great."

"Clare," Eli gave her a look and chuckled, "that was the worst date ever."

She smiled, "It was pretty bad."

He laughed and nodded his head, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Don't get me wrong, the food was great and the company was amazing, but-"

"-But you hated it."

"_But_ it just wasn't what I had in mind," she says as she steps forward to wrap her arms around his neck. They're still standing in front of the entrance to the restaurant, but neither makes an effort to move. "I just wanted to spend time with you, Eli."

He stares at her for a minute, his mind swirling with ideas before he smiles and nods, "Okay. Let's go spend time together."

* * *

"Eli," Clare hisses. "Get down from there!"

Eli stops walking and looks down at her, his hands stuffed in his pockets. She raises her eyebrows at him and he only tilts his head to the side. He smirks at her and turns to continue his walk, ignoring her protests.

Eli is currently walking along a brick wall that is wrapped along the side of the park, about four and a half feet in height. Clare is watching him with narrowed eyes, though she's very worried for his safety. If he falls it sure won't be a pretty sight.

"Clare, stop worrying. It's perfectly safe up here," Eli states. He puts his arms out like a plane and continues his walk, speeding up in the slightest. Clare follows and increases her speed as well, until they reach the end.

Just as Eli reaches the end of the brick wall he stumbles forward slightly and has no choice but to jump down, nearly losing his footing. Clare is quick to be by his side, holding him up.

When she's sure he's safe from harm's way she takes her fist and punches his arm.

"Idiot," she mutters before turning to go back to the car.

Eli is quick to follow her, stepping in front of her and stopping her from going anywhere. He places his hands on her arms and looks at her with pleading eyes.

"Clare, just give it a chance," Eli says softly. "Please? I promise I'll be by your side and I'll catch you if you fall."

"No, Eli, I am not going u-"

Eli cut her off with a kiss, his lips pressing firmly against hers. She surrendered right away and kissed him back, her fingers clutching the collar of his jacket. When Clare realized what he was doing she pulled away, ready to tell him that she would not being doing such a thing and he muttered the words, "Shut up," before kissing her again. Clare couldn't fight him anymore; his lips were too hypnotizing.

Pulling away slowly, Eli whispered, "Please?"

She groaned and stomped her foot and Eli grinned because she had cracked.

He helped her climb up onto the brick wall, making sure he held her hand as she stood on it. She was shaking slightly and he had to reassure her that he was right there and wouldn't let her get hurt. She trusted him, so she loosened up a bit and walked more freely and less cautiously across the top of the wall. She grinned to herself when she realized she was almost at the end and looked at Eli. He returned her smile.

Just as she turned to look back ahead to watch where she was going she had lost her footing, screaming and wailing as she tumbled to the ground. Lucky for her, Eli had caught her before she could hit the ground. The young girl clutched onto him as if her life depended on it, and in her eyes it did.

"You caught me," she breathed as she looked up at him.

And when Eli's eyes caught hers he nearly dropped her. She was so beautiful and breathtaking and everything he could ever ask for. How had he gotten so lucky to have her in his life? What had he done to deserve her? He had no idea but he was glad that he did have her. He was so grateful to call her his. He thanked the god he didn't believe in that he could see her, kiss her, and hold her anytime that he wishes.

Eli sets her down and wraps his arms around her waist, slowly backing them up until she is pressed between the wall and him. The air is chilly and she feels sudden warmth invade her cheeks as she looks into his eyes. His breathing is soft and her hands find their way to rest inside his jacket pockets, earning a soft smile from the boy because she could've used her own yet chose his.

"I have a confession," he says.

"Yes?" she asks innocently. She blinks and waits for him to speak.

He laughs softly, "I love you."

She smiles and leans up to kiss his lips softly. When she pulls back in the slightest she tilts her head to the side.

"Is that why you were so nervous at the start of this evening?"

He nods. "I told you, you make me nervous."

He wasn't lying. She makes him extremely nervous. How is that even possible? How can one person make you nervous? They're just a human being.

A human being with the ability to make you quiver with nerves.

And Clare Edwards is that human being. The one person who can make Eli Goldsworthy nervous as hell.

"And you make me happy," she says while moving her hands behind his neck.

He smiles, "Good."

"Now, I have a confession of my own," she drags on. He raises an eyebrow. "I absolutely love it when you call me _love_."

He chuckles softly, his hot breath visible in the cold air. "Well, that's rather cute."

They turn to begin walking again, his arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist. She's humming softly and he listens, loving the sound. Their cheeks are pink from the chilly air but neither one of them cares, too wrapped up in the warmth the other is giving them.

"When will you say it again?" Clare asks, because it had been a week and a half since the last time he had said those three words and she has begun to hate waiting for them.

Eli smirks and pulls her closer to him, his lips hovering over her ear, "Patience is a virtue… _love_."

* * *

**Fun fact: the whole "I love it when you call me **_**love**_**" thing actually happened to me. And the guy's response was exactly like Eli's. I saw the chance so I took it, haha. I thought it was cute at the time and I still do. **


	4. The Fourth Way To Say I Love You

**MERRY CHRISTMAS / HAPPY HOLIDAYS! :D **

**Thank you for the reviews! You guys are seriously amazing! **

**goldsworthys: Because of your all caps reviews I assume you really like this, haha. You're amazing and thank you so much for reviewing. It really means a lot and it made my day! :) Thank you. **

**As for the rest of you, I love you all! But if I were to thank each and every one of you it would mean more time spending on this and less time updating. But I really do appreciate every single one of you and you all are so amazing and I love you!**

**I didn't proof read this so I'm sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi. And because I forgot to put the disclaimer last chapter, I didn't own it then, either. SO SAD I KNOW.**

* * *

_4. Whisper it into her hair in the middle of the night, after you've counted the space between her breaths and are certain she's asleep. Shut your eyes quickly when she shifts toward you in askance. Maybe you were just sleep whispering._

* * *

"What else?" Adam asks, turning to look at Clare.

Twisting her lips to the side she scans the shelf with her eyes, searching for anything else they could get. They already had several bags of chips and plenty of chocolate bars and a few cases of pop, a couple of movies in the back seat of her car, also.

"I think we should be good. Come on, let's go," Clare replies. They make their way to the till.

As they're driving back to Clare's house they discuss what movies they should watch. They knew there would be several people wanting horror or action or romance, but they had settled on romantic comedy; that was one category that everyone could agree on.

"So," Adam spoke up. "How are you and Eli doing?"

"Great," Clare smiled, her eyes fixated on the road ahead. "Really great, actually."

Adam smiled, "That's good. He's coming tonight, right?"

"Yup. He's not going to be too pleased to hear that we're not watching a horror movie," Clare laughs and Adam joins in.

Adam had known Eli for about two years now. Adam had actually introduced Eli and Clare, unintentionally, I might add. They had gone to Adam's birthday party, and when the poor boy got so hammered that he could barely speak the two had taken care of him. Once Adam was passed out and they had sent everyone home they had stayed back to help clean up. And when they were finished, Eli had asked Clare out on a date with him. At the time Clare had expected a nice restaurant and a fancy dinner, but Eli had other plans.

He had taken her on a walk and surprised her by bringing her to the carnival that night. Cotton candy and water gun games had never been more romantic before for Clare. Since that night, the Farris wheel had always been her favorite place at carnivals. After all, it was where they shared their first kiss.

"I'm hoping for a hissy fit," Adam says with a wink.

Clare smiles.

* * *

"OH!" All the boys, along with Fiona and Imogen, in the apartment hollered as Adam caught a piece of popcorn that Drew had thrown in his mouth. Jake and Adam high fived and Drew gave Adam props. Clare walked by to give Adam a smack to the head.

"If you guys make a mess you're cleaning it up," she warned.

Everyone nodded and began throwing piece of popcorn at Jake simultaneously, watching to see how many he could catch in his mouth. Becky, Katie and Bianca all sat on the couch, chatting up a storm. The only person missing was Eli.

He had called and said that he would be running late. Everyone had taken that opportunity to talk and have a competition of who can catch the most popcorn in their mouth. Jake seemed to be winning.

The front door opened and in walked Eli, a case of beer in his hand.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. I brought beer," he said. The boys hollered and Jake grabbed the case from him, bringing it into the kitchen.

Clare walked up to him and tugged at his shirt, "You're still in your work clothes."

"I didn't have time to go home and change," he said sheepishly.

She shrugged and nudged her head to her room, "Come on, I think I have something you can wear."

Eli gave her an odd look as she pulled him to her room, "Even though I'd look drop dead sexy in one of your dresses, I'm not sure everyone else would agree."

Clare turned to slap him on the arm and he laughed, "I mean I think I have something of _yours_ you could wear."

Entering the room she walked straight to her closet, fishing out one of his many shirts that she had, tossing it to him. She moved over to her dresser, searching through all of her clothes until she found one of the pairs of jeans he had left here, tossing it to him, also.

"What did you do all day?" Eli asked as he began stripping out of his work pants.

"Adam and I bought tons of junk food; although the guys have already inhaled most of it," Clare laughed softly.

Eli pulled on his jeans and buttoned them up, "Sorry about that. I tried to get here as fast as I could."

"That's okay, Eli. We didn't mind," she smiled.

Eli smiled and began changing his shirt, pulling on the band tee. Once he was fully changed they headed for the door. Pulling her close, Eli wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Clare, I know you and Adam had planned to torture us with that romantic comedy shit, but we all decided that we're watching The Avengers. Your argument is invalid," Jake said as he popped in the DVD. Clare gaped at him and Eli closed her mouth playfully, chuckling softly at her attempt at a glare.

Jake, Drew and Adam took the floor while the girls sat on the couch behind them. Eli and Clare took over the loveseat, Clare sitting pressed up against the arm rest and Eli between her legs, laying on her. The lights were turned off and the movie began to play, everyone digging into their choice of treats.

Throughout the movie Clare had unconsciously began playing with Eli's hair, though he didn't complain. Imogen and Fiona were cuddled up at one end of the couch while the other three girls were cuddled together, their boyfriend on the floor, too engulfed in the movie to even think about cuddling with them.

When the movie had ended they began deciding on the next one. They had plenty of movies to choose from and all night to watch them.

Eli had gotten up and made his way into the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge. Clare followed him. Running up to him from behind she covered his eyes with her hands and tilted his head back so she could kiss him.

"Jake, I didn't know you felt that way about me," Eli joked and Clare removed her hands. He turned around and smiled at her, pulling her close to him by her waist. "I'm staying the night, right?"

She nodded. "Do you work tomorrow?" When he shook his head she smiled with a glint in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Spend the day with me tomorrow."

"Only if we get to have a nude dance party," he winks. She slaps his shoulder and he pulls her closer when she tried to leave his grip. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'd love to spend the day with you."

She stares into his eyes and smiles, a cheeky grin appearing on his own face. She leans up to kiss him, their lips molding together perfectly.

"Eli, Clare! Stop having sex and come watch the movie!"

Clare pulled back with wide eyes.

"Drew, you're such a cock-blocker!" Eli hollers back, earning a flick in the nose from Clare. Eli gaps at her, unsure of what to do. "What the hell was that?"

"People hate being flicked in the nose. Therefore I flicked you in the nose."

Clare turns to walk away, leaving Eli in the kitchen. He lifts his hand to touch his nose and frowns.

"That hurt," he mumbles and grabs his beer, heading back into the living room with the others.

* * *

Laughing uncontrollably and out of breath, the six girls fell onto the floor, the song ending as they did. All the boys, who were talking amongst themselves before a dance party broke out, watched in amusement.

"That was _so_ much fun!" Imogen squealed happily while wrapping her arms around Fiona. All the girls nodded in agreement.

Clare let out a breath of air, feeling quite parched. She looked around for a drink and the first thing that caught her attention was the beer dangling in Eli's fingers. She reached over while he was talking to Adam and took the bottle, chugging the fluid back before Eli could protest. Eyes wide and mouth agape, Eli sat there and watched his girlfriend in amazement. Yes she was one to drink but she had never been a fan of beer. Face twisting in disgust, Clare shuddered and handed the beer back to a chuckling Eli.

"Never would've taken you for a beer drinker, Clare bear," Jake teased.

"Shut up," Clare muttered.

Eli cleared his throat and stood up, realizing that Clare looked a bit too tired.

"It was really nice to see you guys, but it's getting late,"

Everyone agreed and started cleaning up. After the place looked half decent Eli said he'd take care of the rest and everyone was on their way, thanking and saying goodnight to Clare and Eli. Once everyone was out the door Eli looked at Clare to see she was still sitting on the ground. Sighing, he made his way over to her and sat next to her. She looked up at him and ran a hand through her hair.

"I mean this in the most loving way possible, but you look terrible," Eli commented softly.

She frowned, "I know. And I feel as good as I look."

Eli placed his hand on her forehead, "Are you okay? I mean, you didn't drink much."

Clare sighed, "I just don't feel very good."

"Why don't you go get ready for bed and I'll finish up out here and meet you in there?" He questioned while pushing her hair out of her eyes.

She smiled lazily, "Okay. Thank you."

"No problem," he said, kissing her forehead before helping her up off the floor.

Eli made sure the garbage and food and bottle were all picked up and tidied up the living room a bit. He made sure any spilled drinks were wiped up, also. Deciding that the place was clean enough he made his way to the room, locking the front door and turning off the lights as he did so.

Entering the room he noticed Clare was already tucked in bed, looking exhausted. After stripping into his boxers he turned the light off and climbed in bed with her. She turned on her back and muttered a goodnight, her eyes still closed. He turned on his side and wrapped his arm around her, burying his head into her neck, muttering his goodnight.

He listened to her steady breathing as she fell into a deep sleep. He opened his eyes and moved his head slightly, watching as she slipped into unconsciousness right before him. He was certain she was asleep, but he felt as if the moment was right.

Leaning forward he pressed his lips to her hair, softly whispering, "I love you."

When he pulled back to look at her, he just watched her eyelids flutter. That is, until her eyes opened and she turned to look at him. He quickly shut his eyes and pretended to be sleeping, hoping she would think that maybe he was just talking in his sleep. That way he wouldn't feel so vulnerable.

She stared at him in askance, waiting for him to open his eyes. She knew he was awake and just waited for him to give in and open his green eyes. But when he didn't she knew he was determined to keep them closed, so she decided to close her own and fall asleep in his arms, letting him win. She was willing to play his little game.

It was her favorite, after all.


	5. The Fifth Way To Say I Love You

**So it's like 1:30 in the morning and I'm wide awake. I promised goldsworthys that I'd update, so here it is! Thank you for all the reviews! God do they ever make my day! I just love reading your guys' thoughts on this! **

**I'll be honest and say that I'm not really a big fan of the second half of this chapter. I like the first half, but I think the second half sucks ass. So don't be surprised if you're disappointed because I am too, don't worry. **

**Anyways, enjoy! I'm going to start writing the next chapter now. Goodbye for now my lovely's! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi or the very first line of this chapter. I borrowed it from something that I had read and it seemed to fit. Though I do own Eli's sexy dance moves.**

* * *

_5. Blurt it out in the middle of an impromptu dance party in the kitchen, as clumsy as your two left feet. When time seems to freeze, hastily tack on "in that shirt" or "when you make your award-winning meatballs" or, if you are feeling particularly brave, "when we do this." Resume dancing and pretend you don't feel her eyes on you the rest of the night._

* * *

Unlike the frantic performance sex that descends after a night on the town, morning sex is deliciously unpretentious, relaxing, and slow. Neither one had planned such actions when their eyes had opened to the blinding light. Coffee was the only thing on Clare's mind and the need to urinate on Eli's. He had gotten up to use the washroom while Clare was still sleeping peacefully, but the sound of the toilet flushing had awoken her. She stretched and moaned, her body telling her that she wasn't ready to get out of bed yet. She thought that a nice cup of coffee would awaken her senses.

When Eli, realizing that it was still quite early, had slid back under the covers and his hot skin had touched her cold flesh, Clare turned to face him, their eyes meeting.

"You're freezing," Eli had remarked softly.

Clare shuffled closer to him, his warmth soon engulfing her as his arm wrapped around her waist. She looked at him with tender eyes and Eli wondered if she knew how adorable she looked with bed-head.

"Warm me up," she had whispered, her breathing soft. He pulled her closer and rubbed her back, but she placed her hand on his bare chest as she breathed, "Beneath the sheets."

He didn't say a word. She wondered if she had said the wrong thing; maybe he wasn't in the mood. They had just woken up, after all. Maybe it was too soon.

But when she felt his hand slide down her side and thigh, curling his fingers into her leg before bringing it up to wrap around him, she smiled because she knew he had understood.

And so he rolls to lie on his back, her body rolling with his until she's lying on top of him. He smiles at her and pushes her hair out of her face; _she's beautiful_. She's breathing deeply as she sits up to straddle him, her hands reaching down to the hem of her shirt to bring it up over her head, his eyes watching her every move. It falls to the floor effortlessly and she's left in her bra and panties; she didn't have pajama pants on to begin with.

"What are we having for breakfast?" Eli asks. Clare looks at him oddly because it was so random out of the blue. The way his hands were roaming her bare thighs clashed with the question he had asked and she wasn't' sure if he was looking for a real answer. He shot a raised eyebrow her way as his hands moved to her hips, rubbing small circles with his thumbs.

"I was thinking pancakes," she answered, her hands roaming his chest and broad shoulders.

Eli smiles, "I like pancakes."

Clare laughs and leans down to place a kiss on his shoulder, moving to his neck and the place below his ear, "I know."

Eli sits up and his face is now mere centimeters from Clare's. His hands make their way up her back until they reach the clasp of her bra, undoing it skillfully. Pulling it from her and throwing it to the floor, he made sure his eyes never left hers. She places her arms around his neck and hands in his hair, watching his eyes close blissfully. He loves it when she plays with his hair and wouldn't dare ever stop her, no matter how bad he wanted her.

He hummed softly as her fingers kept up their movements, her lips finding their way to his cheek bone, placing a kiss there. She pulled her hands away and leaned back to look at him, watching his eyes open slowly. His eyes were darker and needier. She could see that he wanted her and that made her all the more confident.

He placed his hands on the back of her thighs and pulled her up to sit on her knees, giving his lips access to her hips. He leans forward and places a small kiss on her hip bone, her fingers finding his hair once again. The more she played with his hair the more he kissed and nipped and licked; she was losing herself in him already and she wasn't even fully naked yet.

She pulled his head back and made him look at her before leaning down and placing her lips over his. He was more than happy to respond; her love was like a monster eating him alive and he couldn't bear not being intimate with her. Breaking the kiss, Clare looked at him with loving eyes, breathing softly into his mouth.

Placing her hands on his chest she pushes him down roughly, loving the way his head hit the pillow gracefully. Everything this man did was beautiful in her eyes; there was yet to be a day where she didn't think he was something extraordinary.

"God, you're so lovely," she breathes, her hands roaming his body. She grabs his face and leans down to kiss him, her hips slowly but surely rocking against his.

He would never admit it but he loved when she talked like that. He felt infinite when she would say things like that; she wasn't one to be like everybody else. She was quite original and he loved that about her. She didn't follow anybody's rules but the ones she makes up on the spot. And secretly, it turns him on.

"You're perfection," is his reply when he breaks for air, his teeth and lips practically glued to her mouth as soon as the words escape his own. There's a burning in his chest that's calling her name like she's the only one who could satisfy its hunger.

She moans into him and pulls back roughly, eagerly rushing to remove her panties. God does she want him. He's breathing heavily and watching with half lidded eyes as the girl before him is letting him see such an intimate part of her. Sure it's not the first time, but he feels some kind of completeness knowing that he's the only one who is allowed to see her like this; so needy and vulnerable.

Her lips are back on his and Eli's still for a moment before it hits him; Clare is kissing him like it's the last day on earth and his boxers are still on. But before he could even reach down to remove them she's already on it, her hands rushing to remove the last article of clothing. As soon as it is removed he pulls her back to him, his hands holding her face there as he kisses her until she can't breathe. When he pulls back for a short break she looks at him like he's the only person she could see herself with for the rest of her life.

She would never grow tired of him.

"You fascinate me," she says as she grips him in her hand, aligning him at her entrance.

He waits for it patiently because he doesn't want this feeling to end. He doesn't want this moment to end. He doesn't want the look on her face to ever go away. She's looking at him like he's a diamond in a sea of rocks and he fucking loves it.

So he kisses her. He kisses her because he loves the way her tongue feels against his and the way she always moans softly as if the very touch of him sends a wave of pleasure over her. He kisses her because she's everything to him and he wouldn't dare waste a single second not showing her just how much he values her. He kisses her because he knows how much she loves his kisses and she kisses him back because she knows how much he loves hers.

And then he feels it. He's filled her and she moans softly, breaking the kiss, her hands reaching to grip the pillow his head is resting on. His tongue pokes out to lick his lips as she begins to move over him. He grunts and grips her hips with his hands, helping her find a decent rhythm. He makes sure she doesn't move too fast because he wants this to last as long as possible.

"You make me feel alive," he moans softly, his vulnerability showing.

She moans and begins to move faster and he lets her because fuck does it feel good. He's losing his mind watching her rock above him. Her breasts are dangling right in front of him and he takes a nipple into his mouth. Her mouth falls open and her head down; soft, short moans spilling from her slightly swollen lips.

"You make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world," she says breathlessly, hissing at the feeling of his teeth on her sensitive flesh.

"Jesus," she breathes, pausing briefly. "Oh, fuck," she curses, because he's doing that fucking thing with his tongue and she can't handle it.

She moves her hips faster as he switches to her other nipple, his hands roaming her lower back. Her moans are growing louder the faster she moves, her teeth coming out to bite her bottom lip. But Eli places his hands back on her hips as his head moves to rest on the pillow again, slowing her down. He's not ready for this to end yet.

"That's because in my world, you are," he whispers lowly.

Clare smiles at him and slows her movements, leaning down to kiss him. And he holds her close and rolls them over, deciding she's worth too much to make her wait any longer. So as he feels himself coming close he moves faster and harder, her lips parting from his as her moans increase. He reaches down to rub her softly, her fingers finding his hair again. She knows him like the back of her fucking hand because that was it. He was done. Fucking done and over with.

His hips are moving at an incredibly fast pace as he thrusts into her harshly, watching her face and listening to her curse and moan and scream. Her skin feels as if it's on fire and Eli's holding her with such tenderness and harshness that makes her mind fog up; it's like he wants to be careful with her but also doesn't want her to slip from his grasp.

And then he's hitting it. That one spot that makes her go insane. He's hitting it repeatedly and softly and harshly and it's not long before she's sky diving into a sea of glory with him not far behind.

She's arching her back and clawing at his with one hand while the other pulls on his hair. There's not a drop of innocence as she cries his name in pure bliss and shivers and shakes. He has never heard anything more beautiful, nor has he seen anything as incredible as the sight before him. Her hair is as messy as ever, her eyes closed and lips parted, body shaking and hands clutching onto him, silently begging him to stay with her as she falls from her high. He collapses on top of her and she doesn't dare let him move. He's shaking softly and all she wants to do is hold him because she has never felt more alive.

He has shaken her to her core.

"How is it that I always finish before you?" Clare questions breathlessly.

"You're asking the wrong person. It's a wonder I don't cream my pants the minute you walk into the room," he replies, a teasing smirk adoring his face.

She's laughing because he's so cute and different and she can't believe he's all hers.

Their breathing is uneven and irregular but neither makes the effort to try and normalize it. Eli lifts his head to look at her, his chin resting on her chest. She looks at him and moves his sweaty bangs out of his eyes, smiling because he's too good to her. He returns it because her smile is contagious and he would do anything to keep it on her face.

She giggles, "Do you know how early it is?"

He shakes his head, "Does it matter?"

She kisses him.

He's unsure of why but doesn't question it.

But she felt like she owed him a kiss. Not because she had rejected one of his, but because he did so much for her and she didn't do very much for him.

Though, he would disagree.

"It's 7:46," she whispers.

"I hope it's 7:46 forever,"

When she gives him a small smile he moves to lie beside her and she immediately attaches herself to him, digging her head into the crook of his neck. He pulls the covers over them and holds her. Her fingers wrap around his and she pulls his hand to her chest.

"I don't," she says and he looks at her, "because I know we can have this forever, at any time."

Forever is a hell of a long time, but they both couldn't see themselves spending it by anyone else's side.

* * *

"You're doing it wrong!" Clare laughs, reaching for the pan that is in Eli's hand. He's chuckling and moving away from her every time she tries to grab it. He tries flipping the pancake one more time and laughs even harder when it falls to the floor because the look on Clare's face is priceless.

She watches him, quite amused; he's laughing unbelievably hard, bent over and clad in only his boxers. The pancake lies on the floor lifelessly and she grabs the pan from his hand before putting it back on the burner and getting it ready for the next pancake.

After his laughter has subsided, Eli picks up the old pancake and throws in into the trash. Walking back over to her he stands behind her. She's wearing one of his shirts and her panties, her bra still lying on her bedroom floor from earlier. His hands slide up the shirt and rest on her hips as they sway softly from side to side. He's noticed, in the past, that she does it every time she's cooking. He moves his head and rests his chin on her shoulder, watching as she begins making another pancake.

She can feel him begin to sway with her and she smiles, resting her head against his as she hums a familiar song. He recognizes it immediately because she always listens to it when she gets ready.

"I'm craving eggs. Do you want eggs? I want eggs," Eli mutters into her hair.

She laughs softly and points to the fridge while moving to grab another pan from the bottom cupboard. Eli taps her butt playfully before making his way to the fridge and grabbing the eggs. He moves to stand beside her and places the second pan on one of the free burners, turning it on and preparing it for the eggs.

"You're weird," Clare blurts as she flips a pancake. He turns to look at her and she continues, "But I like it."

She smiles and he laughs and nudges her with his hip, "Who doesn't?"

She shoves him back and begins making her way to her bedroom.

"Where's your phone?"

"My jeans pocket," he yells back, cracking an egg into the pan.

Clare returns with his phone in her hands and she's already scrolling through the song list. She clicks on _You Bring Me Joy _by_ Amelia Lily_, a song she had put on his phone for herself. Making sure the volume was on all the way up she places his phone on the counter and returns to the pancake. She places it on a plate and continues making more as Eli looks over at his phone. The song was familiar but not something he is a big fan of, though he leaves it alone because she had chosen it and by the looks of it, she likes it very much; she knows every word.

As he listens to the lyrics, a thought occurs. He is looking at the frying egg as he speaks.

"Do I ever make you sad?"

She stops singing immediately and stares at the pancake in the pan. She flips it and turns to look at him.

"Sometimes," she says honestly. "But not a lot."

He frowns. "Can you explain?"

She sighs, "Um, remember a few weeks ago when we had planned to have dinner here together? I was going to cook and you were going to spend the night?" He nods once, recalling the memory. "Well, you had cancelled on me because you had to stay at work longer than you had expected. I had everything cooked and ready and to have you cancel at last minute… well, it made me sad. But I understood."

Eli smacks his hand to his forehead, "I went home that night, too. I didn't even come here. Fuck, I'm so stupid." He looks at her sadly, "I'm sorry."

She laughs, "Don't be sorry, idiot." She pushes at his chest and he's quick to grab her hand, pulling her into him and wrapping his arm around her waist. She's surprised when he starts moving to the beat of a new song, _Remember You_ by _Wiz Khalifa ft. The Weeknd_; also one of her songs. Their hips are swaying in rhythm and she places her hand on his shoulder. He's smirking at her as they move around the kitchen, dancing to the song. When the chorus comes on he spins her and she laughs as he pulls her back into him.

Clare feels extra brave this morning and decides to turn around, her back pressed to his front. They start swaying and his hands rest on her hips. His hot breath hits her neck softly as her hand slides to the back of his neck, her head turning to look at him. Their faces are very close and they can feel each other's breath on their lips, igniting a fire in their eyes.

And then she spins out and is holding his hand as she moves to the beat, enjoying the music and swaying her body whichever way it decides to go. Eli's smiling as he watches her and then brings her back to him, placing a kiss on her lips.

"I love you," he says as they part, and the only noise you can hear as the song ends is the eggs frying in the pan.

A new song starts as he searches his brain for a follow-up and thinks _"in that shirt"_ or _"when you make your award-winning fettuccine alfredo"_ but neither seems to suffice. She's staring at him because his mouth is hanging open as if he has more to say and she is waiting patiently.

And so he continues, "When we do this."

He spins her out again and when she returns to him, he resumes their dancing, bringing her along. But she stops and he thinks he's ruined the moment, though he's unsure why he feels that way.

Eli's eyes widen when she pushes him back roughly against a counter. Her lips are hungrily attacking his and he responds with eagerness, his tongue finding hers instantly. His hand is on the base of her neck and hers are tangled in his hair.

He reaches down and Clare jumps up, his hands catching her by her thighs. He turns them around and places her on the counter, his teeth nibbling on her bottom lip softly. She pulls his body to hers and he runs his hands up and down her thighs, grunting softly when she bites his lip. She pulls on it with her teeth and their eyes open to look at each other as she does.

Suddenly his mouth is on her neck, sucking and nibbling and licking and leaving love bites on her soft flesh. She's just about ready to close her eyes and unravel in the pleasure he's bringing her when something catches her eye.

"Eli, the eggs are burning!"

His head whips around and he curses, "Shit."

Running over to the stove, he removes the egg from the pan and Clare jumps down and attends the pancake, which is also burnt to a crisp. She removes it and places it on a plate with Eli's burnt egg and they stare at the ruined pieces of food.

And then they start laughing.

"This looks disgusting," Clare laughs, poking the egg.

Eli looks at her, laughing as well, "Says the one who turned a pancake into coal."

She laughs even harder and he shakes his head, smiling at her. They calm down and Eli decided they're better off with cereal for this morning. As he's grabbing the bowls Clare is changing the song and he thinks of something.

"Are you ever going to say it back?"

Clare pauses the music and places his phone down. Eli finishes pouring the milk into the bowls of cereal and brings them into the living room. He sits on the couch and Clare follows him, sitting beside him. She grabs her bowl of cereal and turns to rest her back against the arm rest, her legs lying on Eli's lap. He's searching the channels for something good to watch and she's watching him. He's acting as if he hadn't asked her a question.

She decided to answer anyway.

"Yes," she replies and takes a bite of her cereal. Once the food is long gone from her mouth she sits up and leans into his ear, "I'm just waiting for the right moment."

Eli scoffs and rolls his eyes, realizing who he's dealing with. She giggles and kisses his cheek and leans back against the arm of the couch once again.

He smiles with a nauseating feeling in the pit of his stomach as he pretends he doesn't feel her eyes on him the rest of the night.


	6. The Sixth Way To Say I Love You

**Don't even ask how this came to be. I don't even know where the first half of this chapter came from. It just kind of… happened. So now this chapter is like **_**extremely**_** long. But I'm kind of in love with it. I actually adore the way this turned out. And I hope you do too. **

**I didn't read over this, so I apologize for any mistakes or grammar errors. **

**Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi or the song Love. Sex. Riot. But I do own the beer Eli loves to consume.**

* * *

_6. Write her a letter in which the amount of circumnavigating and angst could rival Mr. Darcy's. Debate where to leave it all day – on her pillow? In her coat pocket? Throw it away in frustration, conveniently leaving it face up in the trashcan, her name scrawled on the front in your sloppy handwriting. Let her wonder if you meant it._

* * *

When Eli had left her a message telling her to come over, Clare figured they would be spending all night watching movies and laughing at Eli's remarks, sharing little kisses here and there. But the minute she stepped through the door she knew that was not the case. He had called her for a different reason.

He needed her.

She walked over to the couch and stared down at Eli who was face first in one of the cushions. She tilted her head slightly and watched him for a bit before taking a quick look around the room. The TV was left on and there were bottles of beer lying on the coffee table and floor; one was even twisted between his lanky fingers.

"Eli," she whispered softly. She placed her hand on his shoulder but he didn't budge.

"Clare," he muttered back into the pillow, though he stayed still.

"Eli, come on. Sit up."

He sighed heavily but obliged, rolling onto his side and pushing himself into an upright position, making room for her on the couch. She noticed his hair was a complete mess, which made her to believe that he had been pulling on it recently. He looked very stressed and tired and worn out.

When she sat down next to him she grabbed the beer from his hand and placed it on the coffee table. Turning her head, she looked back at him and noticed he had his hands covering his face, and that's when she saw it.

"Jesus Christ, Eli. What the hell happened?" She asked, grabbing his hand from his face and examining his bruised and bloody knuckles. He hissed every time she touched them, cursing softly under his breath when she began cleaning them up. Once they were cleaned and clear of any blood, she looked at him sternly and he knew it was time to explain.

"I got fired today," he explained. She closed her eyes and asked why. He continued, "I was walking by a co-worker's office when I noticed he was fighting with a woman. They were yelling and screaming at each other but I couldn't pick out what they were saying. Anyways, I was just about to turn and leave when he slapped her. He had fucking _slapped_ her across the face, Clare."

Clare had opened her glossy eyes to look at him and frowned because she had a feeling something bad was about to be explained. "What happened?"

"Impulse kicked in and I walked over to him and punched him square in the nose. And I got fired for it."

Clare noticed just how sad he looked and her heart broke. They both knew it was unfair that he got fired for defending someone, but they couldn't really fix it right then anyways. So Clare had decided all she could do right at that moment is to try and make him feel better by getting his mind off of it.

Now, they lay on the couch as a movie plays, shining some light in the dark room. Eli has his arm around Clare as they're facing the TV screen, her hand clutching onto his; the one that wasn't painfully hurting and possibly broken, of course. They are watching one of Eli's favorite shows called _Ridiculousness_ and they're laughing extremely hard, even though Clare feels bad for laughing at other people's pain. But she has to admit that it's very hilarious how some people are so stupid to even attempt half of the stunts shown.

She notices his breathing is getting softer and decides to turn around in his arms to face him. His eyes are closed and she adores the way he looks so peaceful. She knows he's not sleeping because he's pulling her closer to him and nuzzling his nose against hers. She reaches up and tangles her fingers in his hair, taking notice of the small smile gracing his lips as she plays with the strands.

"I fucking love it when you do that," he whispers softly, and she smiles because he just made a curse word sound beautiful.

She responds by pressing her lips to the corner of his mouth, which is a good enough reply for Eli. He shifts his head to the side and their lips touch, pressed against one another ever so softly and neither one of the two make any movement.

Until, Clare speaks.

"Move in with me," she breathes, her lips ever so softly grazing his.

His eyes open to look at her. He doesn't look at her with shock or surprise; he looks at her lovingly with tenderness in his shinning eyes. He already knows his answer but the way she's biting her lip makes him prolong the silence. He watches her eyelashes flutter in waiting and listens to her heart beat, which is beating faster than usual.

"Will you play with my hair?" Eli whisper asks. He's counting down the seconds he has until he could kiss her.

"Every night," she answers.

He sighs contently, "Okay."

She kisses him and he feels ecstatic because it's a _we're going to be living together_ kiss. He feels a bit surprised when she kisses him longer than necessary and even longer than that. She keeps kissing him and he holds her until they break for air. This time he kisses her and she's the one unraveling into the feeling now because it's a _I know your tongue like the back of my hand_ kiss. And God does he ever. He's kissing her the way she loves to be kissed. Their tongues are a tangle of muscles, fighting for dominance, creating a small war. His lips are hungry for hers and she's more than happy to fulfill their hunger, kissing him back with such passion that he moans into her softly.

His hands are all over her. Her back, her sides, her legs; he can't get enough of her. And by the way her hands are pulling him closer she seems to feel the same way about him. Somehow she had moved to straddle him, her hands cupping his face as they kiss. The goose bumps start to form on his skin the second that his left hand meets her waist. The kiss slows down suddenly and it's not long before Clare is pulled away completely.

"I'm going to go take a shower," she says nonchalantly.

Hopping off of Eli and making her way to his bathroom, she hums softly. He lays there with heavy breathing and a confused expression; _what the hell just happened?_

But then his brain starts working again and he smirks to himself. He listens as the water is turned on and waits a few minutes before getting up. He takes his time walking towards the bathroom, playing out in his mind what he plans on doing to her. When he makes it to the door of the bathroom he pushes it open, realizing that it wasn't even fully shut to begin with. He smirks when he sees her clothes on the bathroom floor and steps inside fully, closing the door softly.

She humming a song and he listens as he undresses himself. Once he's fully nude he pulls the curtain back slowly and steps in, the warm water hitting his feet. Clare turns to face him, a small smirk playing at her lips as he eyes her wet curls. She steps closer to him and his arm instantly wraps around her waist and they turn in a circle until the water is hitting his back. She pushes him back softly until he's standing under the water fully, his hair and face getting covered with water. She watches him with hungry eyes and admires his defined body. His jaw is sharp and alluring, his chest is chiseled in all the right places, his stomach kissable, and when her eyes land on his lower half, she moans internally because my God he is perfection.

"Took you long enough," she says, and his eyes snap open as he steps out of the water, roughly pushing her against the tile wall. He tilts his head and looks at her with dark, lustful eyes as the water pounds at his back. She grabs one of his hands and brings it to her chest, sliding it down between her breasts, over her stomach and continues south until his hand is pressed firmly against the place between her legs. "Touch me, Eli."

He lets out a small _humph_ before he removes his hand from her and turning away from her. She frowns until she notices what he's doing; he's turning up the hot water and adjusting the head of the shower so it's hitting her. He steps back in front of her and places his hand between her legs again, igniting a gasp from her throat.

"Only because you asked nicely," he replies and slowly begins rubbing her.

Her hands move to wrap around his neck and she feels the hot water hit her hands and feet, though it's not nearly as hot as her core feels. He's teasing her with slow rubs and soft kisses to her neck; she feels like she's burning and the fact that he's whispering naughty things into her ear is not helping, either.

Then, she gets an idea. She lets his little ministration continue for a few seconds more before she reaches down and grips him in her hand. His whispering and slow rubs halt to stop briefly as she begins moving her hand slowly before he picks up the pace. She's smiling and he realizes that he had been out smarted, though he doesn't have time to care because she's touching him in incredible ways.

But he has a plan.

He pulls his hand away from her and she whimpers, but he doesn't stop to explain. She watches as he gets down on his knees and licks her lips when he lifts her leg so her foot is on the edge of the tub, giving him access to her most sensitive area. He leans forward and licks between her folds slowly, his hands places firmly on the inside of her thighs, keeping them open. His lips and tongue and teeth are all over her and she's struggling to stay standing. He's a wizard with his tongue and she wonders how he expects her to stand throughout this little action.

Her fingers tangle in his wet hair and he moans against her when she tugs at the strands, earning himself a moan from the woman above. She tilts her head back against the wall, her breathing heavy as he does wonders with his tongue and teeth. This is too much for her. Her hips are rocking against his face and he doesn't mind one bit because the noises she is making are music to his ears.

"Fuck, Eli," she curses and he stifles a laugh. She pulls on his hair and he grunts, looking up at her. "Stop, stop, just stop."

He pulls back and gives her a curious look but she ignores his look and moves to turn the water off. Eli stands up and she watches the water drip down his face as she steps in front of him. She leans close to his face and reaches down to wrap her hand around him, squeezing softly, earning a whimper from the man in front of her.

"Fuck me."

He's quick to pick her up and step out of the tub, hastily bringing her to his bedroom and roughly throwing her on the bed. He climbed on top of her and smirks, uncaring about the fact that his bed is getting wet from the both of them. She pulls him down to kiss her; it's rough and harsh and needy and Eli's having difficulty keeping his thoughts intact.

He pulls away, "I've sort of always wanted to fuck you to a certain song, but I never brought it up because I thought you wouldn't like it."

She laughs, "Eli, put the goddamn song on and fuck me before I lose my fucking mind."

Eli smirks and raises his eyebrows, "No need to get so vulgar."

He's quick to find his phone and place it on the doc, turning up the volume and putting the song on repeat before he returns to her. The beginning of the song _Love. Sex. Riot._ by _Issues_ plays through the speakers and Eli's eyes darken. Her eyes are closed as he crawls up her body, placing kisses along the inside of her thighs, her hips bones, her stomach, between the valley of her breasts, her collar bones and her neck, her breathing hitching with every kiss. The screaming through the speakers fills their ears as he lifts his head to look her in the eyes, his hands running up and down her sides. Leaning forward, she kisses him harshly, her hands gripping the sides of his face. His hands hold her hips in a bruising grip as their tongues dance and teeth clash.

Once the chorus hits Eli pulls back to sing it, his lips grazing hers with every lyrics. She's smiling and holding him close because he looks amazing with his hair wet. His voice is heaven on earth and she can't get enough of it. She's watching his lips as he sings and he's watching her eyes, loving the way she looks like she wants to jump his bones but doesn't because she loves what he's doing. The screaming resumes and Eli digs his head into her neck, his hands gripping her ass and pulling her closer. Her nails are digging into his back as she breathes into his ear, knowing very well how much it turns him on.

He pulls his head back to look at her and there isn't enough time for him to blink before her lips are on his. It wasn't even a full kiss before she pulls back to mutter against the flesh of his neck, "You're so sexy."

He smirks and rolls them over so he's on his back as she straddles him. The chorus returns and Eli begins singing once again, ginning at Clare because he knows the effect it has on her. She's staring at him with admiration as her hands roam his body, grabbing his wrists and pinning them above his head. Her lips find his neck and he closes his eyes while continuing to sing along to the song blasting through the speakers. But then she does that thing with her teeth and he's moaning and she's rolling her hips against his, absolutely loving the skin on skin contact.

"My God how is it possible for someone to be _this_ sexy?" She asks when she looks at him.

He chuckles and smirks lazily at her, "I could ask you the same question."

Before she has a chance to respond he has already rolled them back over, her legs wrapped around his waist as he rests between hers. He presses his lips to hers to stop her from saying anything more and internally smiles because by the way she's pulling at his hair she doesn't seem to care. He touches her neck and she touches his, her nails scratching his flesh.

They part and she's looking at him with such want and need that he's lost on what to do, other than rolling his hips into hers. She's moaning and touching him and – oh, _oh_.

Oh my God she's begging. She's begging him to fuck her senseless and he's unsure of what to do. His throat is dry and his palms are sweaty. But when his brain picks up on the lyrics to the song he realizes that there's no need to be nervous, because she wants him and there's no fucking doubt in his entire being that he wants her, too.

"Please," she pleads and he caves.

He fills her slowly and she grins and moans, her legs tightening around his waist. He places one hand on the bed beside her head and the other on her hip, moving his hips back and forth slowly. Her eyes find his and he doesn't have the will to look away, so he watches her watch him as he moves inside of her. He slows his pace and rolls his hips into her, earning a loud moan from her lips. He's mouthing the words to the song that continues to play on repeat and picks up his pace, letting himself fall onto his other hand, resting on his forearms. Clare looks at him and he moves faster, his hips meeting her over and over again at an erratic pace.

He leans down to press a kiss to her neck, whispering, "You're so fucking wet."

His fingers begin rubbing her as he pounds inside her with jack hammered thrusts, and she arches into him.

"Oh fuck," she moans, her head pushing back into the bed.

Clare's going insane; his body feels amazing next to hers and she can't control her moans. She's falling deeper and deeper into the pleasure Eli Goldsworthy brings and never wants to come out of it. She watches his lips as he mouths the words of the song and one lyric catches her attention; _it's like I'm burning inside when you spit my name._ When Eli moans her name she's on top of the world. She's burning with a desire that longs to consume them both so she never has to be away from him. Because there's something breathtaking about the way he says her name. And when he moans her name, she doesn't know if its fantasy or reality.

"Fuck, Clare," he moans and she pulls him down to her, pressing her lips to his. She kisses him hard, urging him to finish them off right then and there. And he accepts that challenge, moving his hips faster and harder than before. Their lips separate though Clare's hands are linked behind his neck, holding him there with their foreheads pressed together. Their breathing in each other's air as they feel their finish approaching.

She feels it and her face twists with pleasure as she wonders how it only keeps getting better and better with him. He bites his bottom lip when he feels his closeness, his eyes closing as he puts every ounce of energy he has left into helping her finish with him.

Stars.

They're seeing stars.

She's screaming his name and he's moaning hers, his hips moving for just a few seconds more to help ride out their orgasms. He collapses on top of her, feeling defeated and drained. Their breathing is heavy as they lie there, unraveling in the feeling of their high.

And then there's laughter.

Clare's laughing and can't seem to stop, which alarms Eli. She looks at him and continues laughing because he's so beautiful and he makes her feel beautiful and what they just shared was so beautiful. He's confused and scared, wondering if she's laughing at him; what's so funny? Why is she laughing? Why can't she stop laughing?

She notices his distress and pulls him up to kiss her, wanting him to know that that was magnificent.

"Eli, you're fucking incredible. Please don't ever forget that."

And because she told him not to, he wouldn't.

* * *

They had decided to lie in his bed for the rest of the night, talking, laughing, smiling and cuddling. A few kisses were shared here and there, along with little words of appreciation. Eli let his phones music play as they enjoyed each other's company, and before either of them knew it, it had gotten pretty late. Clare was dozing off in his arms and he felt quite exhausted, also.

So why hadn't he fallen asleep yet?

"Clare?" Eli whispers softly, trying to see if she's asleep or not. She doesn't respond and he takes that as his answer. She's asleep.

Carefully, he slips his hand out of hers and unwinds himself from her, slowly climbing out of the bed. He finds a pair of pajama bottoms and pulls them on before quietly walking out of the room. He makes his way to the kitchen deciding that a cool glass of water may be able to calm him down. He's not sure why he's still awake at this hour and it's very aggravating for him. But then his thoughts start racing and he bites his lip.

Eli walks over to his desk and sits in the spinning chair, sighing as he leans back. He clicks his tongue and spins in a circle once, groaning in annoyance. His mind won't shut up and he knows the only way to shut it up is to pick up a pen and pour his heart out onto a blank piece of paper; either that or to the girl sleeping peacefully in his bedroom.

He picks up the pen.

He begins scribbling down the words of his heart in his scratching handwriting, spilling every thought onto the piece of paper. He reaches deep into his soul and lets the words flow as he thinks about the woman he loves. She's all he sees. And throughout the letter he debates on where to put it when he's done. He could put it in her coat pocket and she could find it on her way home. He could put it in her purse where she could find it when she reaches for her keys. But before he could decide, he realizes that everything he feels he is unable to fit onto this piece of paper. Writing his feelings down on paper is a cowardly way of telling her how much she means to him. And he's angry at himself because he thought he would be able to get away with it.

So he crumples the paper up and holds it in his hand for a moment. He thinks for a second before he opens up the piece of paper and re-reading what he had wrote. He sighs and hangs his head as he moves his hand over the garbage can and letting the letter drop, deciding it'd be best to just forget about it and return to bed. But just as he turns to leave his elbow hits the glass of water and it spills. He curses, picks up the glass and grabs large amounts of tissue before cleaning up the spilled water. He sighs and places more tissue's over the water and decided to leave it till morning; he's too tired to care right now.

The next morning Clare finds herself waking up before Eli. He's out cold; eyes fluttering and lips parted and a small pool of drool near his mouth. She giggled softly to herself and crept out of bed slowly, making her way to the shower. She didn't get to fully clean herself yesterday with Eli distracting her.

Once she was squeaky clean and feeling fresh she walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body. She pulled on one of Eli's shirts and her panties; she loved wearing his shirts because they smelled like him. When she turned around she noticed Eli was still sleeping and decided not to bug him. Using the towel that was around her body to dry her hair she walked out of his room, making her way into the kitchen. That is, until something caught her eye.

She noticed that the papers on his desk were disheveled, appearing to be wrinkled, and an empty glass was sitting on the desk top. Had he gotten up in the middle of the night to write? She shrugged to herself and reached for the glass, noticing there were damp tissues everywhere. Realizing he must've spilled the water she picks up the tissue and turns to throw them in the trash, but stops. Because there's a piece of paper with her name scribbled on the top in the trash.

Putting the tissues and glass aside, she leans down to pick it up and flattens it on the desk. It's very wrinkled and his handwriting is messy, though she's able to pick out what it say.

_Dear Clare,_

_Normally, if I were as smart as I pretend I am I would be snuggled up in bed with you, holding you close and dreading the morning when I would have to let you go, but I'm not and I hate myself for it. I hate myself for it because I want to spend as much time with you as I can, but my mind won't shut up long enough for me to enjoy any moment that I have with you. That came out wrong. I do enjoy being with you, very much, but right now my thoughts are a racing and I can't stop them because… I need to tell you something. I need to tell you how I feel about you. I want you to know how you make me feel. _

_I want you to know that every time you look at me I can't breathe. Your stare is breathtaking and I'm the sucker that gets the wind knocked out of him every time it lands on me. When the light hits your eyes I can see the specks of gray hidden in those ocean sea blues, holding all of your secrets that I crave to unlock. I want to know you inside out and your eyes are the doors I can't seem to get past. _

_I want you to know that every time you hold my hand I freeze because it's such an intimate gesture and I get butterflies. Seriously, I'm not even kidding. Sometimes you aren't even looking at me when you do it, but I look at you to see if you get the same effect. But you don't seem to be fazed by it, so I keep quiet. _

_I want you to know the power your lips have over me. You can get me to do anything, as long as you say it with those pink plump lips. They're so soft. And when you smile they're the only things I want to look at, other than your eyes, because, my God, are they beautiful. And when you kiss me I am unable to think because you've poisoned me with the touch of those precious lips of yours. And every time I don't want to stop, in fear it'll be our last kiss. And that's terrifying. _

_I want you to know that you're fucking beautiful to me. Every single part of you. Whether it's your dorky laugh or the way you love to have your hair curled or the freckles on your nose or the way you lose yourself in a song or the way you speak or the way you dance every time you're cooking; you're incredibly beautiful to me, inside and out. And I'm going to tell you a secret love of mine; I love to watch you. When we go on walks and you're watching the stars; when you're trying to decide what to order at restaurants; when you're reading, writing, watching TV or even sleeping, because you're so beautiful that I can't handle it. _

_I want you to know how excited I am to be moving in with you, because I am. I'm fucking ecstatic knowing that I'll be able to wake up to your lovely face every single day and kiss your wonderful lips every night. _

_Clare Diana Edwards, I want you to know that I'm absolutely and undoubtedly in love with you. _

_Yours truly, Eli. _

She's crying. She's crying and clutching her chest because she has never felt more loved in her entire life. Eli Goldsworthy has spilled his heart onto this piece of paper and it is all about her. And she realizes that he has no idea the effect he has on her. He has no idea how she feels when he caresses her cheek or grazes his lips on her ear to whisper something sweet in it or looks at her with those delicious green eyes of his.

He doesn't know that, secretly, she watches him too.

But she wonders if he actually means it. He did throw it away, after all.

And then, from the room behind her, she hears him calling her name.

* * *

**A/N: Hey, since I love this chapter so much, mind reviewing and telling me what you thought? It'd mean SO much to see how you guys felt about this.**


	7. The Seventh Way To Say I Love You

**To **_**Rawr Olivia Grace**_** who asked where I got the 8 ways, I got them from a post I saw and I decided to write a story based on it. It was too cute to not make it into a story :)**

**To the '**_**Guest'**_** that said I made them cry.. I LOVE YOU. Your review made me so happy. I'm glad that you love this so much. It means a lot. :)**

**To 'Not Signing In' I just want to say that I lOVE YOU TOO BECAUSE YOU LEFT YOUR REVIEW LIKE THIS AND YOU WARMED MY HEART WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU BECAUSE YOU SEEM SO MUCH LIKE ME. **

**I'll be completely honest and say I'm not too happy with the way that this chapter turned out. It was a lot better in my head, but it'll have to do. Yes, I know it is extremely long but that's just how it happened, okay? Anyways, I hope you all enjoy it! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi or the lyrics at the end of this chapter. But I do own Clare's dance moves. ;)**

* * *

_7. Wait until something terrible has happened and you can't not tell her anymore. Wait until she almost gets hit by a car crossing Wabash against the light and after you are done cursing at the shit-for-brains cab drivers in this city, realize you are actually just terrified of living without her. Tell her with your hands shaking._

* * *

Grunting softly, Eli placed a box of his down and stood to examine the place. Clare was carrying the last box through the door, grunting and moaning with difficulty, the box obviously being too heavy for her. Eli turned and laughed before grabbing the box from her hands and placing it down on the ground. Clare pouted at him, obviously displeased with his making fun of her; he smiled at her apologetically, and she wrinkled her nose in a fake smile back.

"Oh, don't be like that," Eli walked over to wrap his arms around her, though she kept hers crossed. He pouted at her and she tapped her foot lightly, ignoring his adorable face. But then he moved his lips to her ear, his hot breath hitting her flesh, and whispered sweet nothings. A wave of giggles erupted from her throat when his hand attacked her sides, her body flailing around as she desperately tried to break from his grip. It was no use, really, because as soon as she turned her head to tell him to stop, he quickly captured her lips with his, his hands stilling at the contact.

His tongue met hers as he held her sweetly, moving around the room until she was barely sitting on the arm of the couch. As they parted he noticed the grin on her face. He breathed deeply at the sight of it, realizing that _he_ was the cause of it. And then she fell back and landed in the cushions, feeling her stomach flutter.

"You make me swoon," she sighed happily. His laughter filled up the room and she almost squealed, because she knew she had the privilege of hearing that laugh every day.

"Come on, help me unpack." He leaned down and kissed her forehead before making his way to a few boxes.

Rolling off the couch, Clare ran to her laptop that was sitting on her desk, plugged in the speakers and chose a song. _I Need Your Love_ by _Eliie Goulding_ played through the speakers and she turned it up, a light smirk on her face. Turning to smile at Eli in pretend shock, she laughed when he groaned in mock agony, knowing he wasn't a fan of her music. But she knew he would tolerate it because she enjoyed it.

"You love to torture me!" Eli yells over the music as Clare dances over to him, singing the lyrics, not caring if she's out of tune or not.

"You've got that right!" She yells back as she dances around him. He laughs and shakes his head at her ridiculous moves. She begins unpacking a box while shaking her hips and swinging her head around to the beat, ignoring the looks Eli is giving her. "You're lucky I didn't put on Taylor Swift!"

Eli rolls his eyes playfully at her and turns to continue unpacking a few of his things, though he's secretly very thankful she hadn't put on Taylor Swift. He can only tolerate so much.

Clare decides she's unpacked enough things for now and begins dancing more, noticing just how much she loves the song at this very moment. Her hips are moving to the beat in such a way where she doesn't want to stop, and when Eli catches a glimpse of her he can't help but turn to watch, enjoying the way her hair flies as she moves. And suddenly he's by her side, his hand on her waist as he circles her. She's standing in one spot, her body still as her eyes follow him, her chest rising and falling as she tries to catch her breath. Just before a big beat drops he stops his movements and stands behind her, whispering in her ear, "I need your love."

And as she drops to the floor and slides back up to the beat of the song, rubbing her ass along his body, his eyes are wide and mouth slightly agape as he stands, clueless as to what to do. But then she turns to look at him and smiles, pleased with his reaction. The beat picks up and Clare begins jumping up and down to it, belting the lyrics as her hands are placed firmly on Eli's shoulders. He's watching her body move, her lips mouth the words, and her eyes as they shine with joy. When he feels it's the right time he wraps his arms around her waist and tosses her over his shoulder, throwing them both onto the couch. She laughs and he's smiling and their hearts are racing; barely anything was unpacked and Eli already felt like he was home.

"I want you to promise me something," Clare breathes, trying to catch her breath, and places a hand on his chest.

He nods once, "Anything."

She looks at him with such vulnerability and he watches her lip quiver before she speaks, "I want you to promise that you will never say goodbye to me; only goodnight."

He places a finger on her neck and his thumb on her chin, his eyes focused on hers, even though she's not looking at him.

"I promise."

* * *

"Mind dropping me off at The Dot on your way? I'm meeting Katie and the girls," Clare asks as she pulls on her leather jacket; the jacket Eli had gotten her for her birthday, which she immediately fell in love with. Since she had tried it on for the first time she barely ever wears her jean jacket anymore; only every once in a while when she misses it.

"Sure," Eli replies as she tosses him his keys.

Eli was already heading out to search for a new job when Clare had received a text from Katie, telling her to come meet Katie and a few other girls at The Dot. Figuring she would be at the house all alone and not wanting to unpack all of Eli's things without him, she decided it would be fun to go.

They walked out of the apartment and Clare locked the door. They made their way to the elevator and Eli pushed the button. Just as they entered the elevator and Clare pushed the button, Eli looks her up and down and smirks to himself, turning to face the front as a satisfied sigh escapes his lips.

"Fuck, I love you in that jacket."

He winces with a laugh as she smacks his stomach, and he knew it was because of his use of language. He stands in the corner and leans against the wall, his hands stuffed in his jean pockets.

"You really need to start using a different language," Clare says.

Eli grins and says, "You don't seem to mind it when I curse in bed."

Clare looks at him, shocked, before the grin on his face makes her laugh; he's such a smart ass. She leans against the other end of the elevator and stares at him. She's not even going to bother arguing because his statement is very true – when he swore in bed it just turned her on more. She loved it.

She smiles and says, "That's because when you swear in bed, it's fucking sexy."

She swore on purpose, deciding that she should test the waters. She wasn't much for swearing outside of bed – except for the occasion bad mouth every once in a while – but she figured she could loosen up a bit.

Eli raises his eyebrows at her. She bats her eyelashes as her body sways slightly, and he tilts his head at her. There's a secret message being silently discussed between the two, though neither one moves. He has his mind set on him not being the one to give in first; he knows that in a matter of seconds she'll cave because her eyes are locked on his lips as he bites his bottom one, knowing exactly what it does to her.

And he's silently gloating inside when her hands grip his face as her lips attack his in a fervent manor. By the taste of her tongue he knew she had given in to him and he only wished they had more time in the elevator. He knew that once those doors open she'd stop kissing him, and he dreaded that moment. Although, he thought, he could seduce her in the back of his car. His hands pull her closer to him and he licks her bottom lip. She moves her lips to his neck and he closes his eyes as he takes in her blissful kisses.

He smiles as he replies to her comment, "Let's be real here, Clare. I make everything fucking sexy."

Her adorable laugh fills his ears as her head falls to his shoulder, her hands resting on his stomach while his sit in the back pockets of her jeans. She looks up at him with a grin that takes his breath away and he kisses her nose. She links her arms behind his waist and her lungs are burning with the urge to mention the letter she had found nearly a week ago. She hadn't mentioned it yet and she didn't know if she was going to. He had thrown it away for a reason and she didn't want to know what that reason was.

"Tonight, can we just watch TV and order in and talk and lose ourselves in the blankets?" She asks softly. He smiles and reaches up to push a curl behind her ear and nods. The elevator stops on the main floor and the doors open, but neither one moves; they're too captivated by the look in each other's eyes to notice the two older men standing there, waiting to enter the elevator.

"Ahem,"

The couple take one look at the two older men before linking their hands and making their way out of the elevator and into the parking lot, grins evident on both of their faces.

* * *

"Holy shit, Clare," Katie gapes at the paper in her hands. She takes one look at Clare before her eyes are back on the letter and she can't believe the words she is reading. "This is beautiful. Eli wrote this?"

Clare nods and Katie adds, "You are one lucky girl. He really loves you."

"I know," Clare smiles, folding the paper back up and gently putting it back in her pocket.

"The most I've gotten from Jake is a key chain," Katie laughs softly.

Clare rolls her eyes, "Coming from Jake that's really sweet. You know he loves you, Katie."

"Oh, I know. I didn't say he didn't and I didn't say I didn't like the key chain. I love it, and him."

"Awh, Katie. You guys are too cute."

Katie smiles and teases, "I know."

The girls share a laugh as the other few join them, filling up the table. Clare felt comfortable sharing the letter with Katie because they have been friends since high school, but she didn't want to go showing everybody the letter. It was something personal and for her eyes only, although she couldn't help sharing it with Katie. And she trusts that Katie wouldn't bring it up to anyone. The rest of the girls would most likely make it to be something it's not and do anything in their power to be involved in their business. She'd rather that not happen.

They talk and laugh and munch on a few treats, catching up with one another. They haven't seen each other since their movie night and they missed each other. Clare had informed everybody that Eli had moved in, making the other girls squeal with excitement. They mentioned how happy they were for her and she could feel her cheeks warm at all of their compliments.

The night went by incredibly fast and the girls soon found themselves saying goodbye to one another. Eli had texted to see if Clare wanted to be picked up but she had texted him back, saying that Katie and her were going to be staying a bit later to hang out and that she'd get a ride home with Katie.

"So how are things with you and Jake?" Clare asked as she sipped on her coffee.

"Great! Incredibly great; he's amazing. I still can't believe we've been together for nearly three years," Katie sighs happily.

Clare raises her eyebrow, "Do you think he'll propose soon?"

Katie sits up straighter, "Well, we've talked about it. But we figured that if we were going to get married it would be a little while from now. We are still young, and if we were meant to be together we'll still feel the same way in a couple of years. So why rush, right?"

Clare smiles, "I completely agree. But when you do get married, I better be in that wedding."

Katie laughed at Clare's attempt at a glare, "Are you kidding me? Of course you'll be in it. I couldn't get married without you by my side."

The girls laughed as Clare pulls Katie into a tight hug, swaying them back and forth.

"Clare Edwards?"

The girls separate and Katie pulls her eyebrows together as she saw who the interrupter was. Clare follows Katie's gaze and gapes at the man before her. She hadn't seen him in nearly two years. What are the odds they would meet in a coffee shop?

"KC Guthrie?" Clare asks, amazed. "Um, hi. What are you doing here?"

"It's a coffee shop," KC states and laughs softly. Clare lets out a short laugh; he's right. He can't do much other then get coffee and something to eat.

"Hey, I'm gonna… go stand in that corner." Katie stands and makes her way to the other side of the coffee shop, and KC takes her seat.

"Long time no see, huh?" KC asks and Clare nods once. "How have you been?"

"I've been good. Great, actually. Life is really great right now."

KC smiles, "That's good."

Clare feels extremely uncomfortable and catches Katie's eyes from across the room. She pleads for her help and Katie's quick to come to her rescue.

"Hey Clare, it's getting late and I promised Jake I'd be home by now. Ready to go?"

Clare smiles, "Yeah, okay." She turns to KC, "It was great seeing you again."

KC stands up and moves a move for a hug, and Clare responds to it uneasily.

Outside of The Dot, Eli Goldsworthy is climbing out of his car. He decided that he didn't want to go home and wait for Clare, so instead he figured he could just hang out with the two girls instead. He hasn't seen Katie in a while either and figured it would be nice to catch up. As he makes his way to the front door he notices Clare in the window. She's hugging someone and stops in his tracks when she pulls back, revealing her ex, KC. Eli had never met him, but he has heard many ugly stories about him. His least favorite was the one where KC had cheated on Clare and had gotten another girl pregnant.

But the scene that unfolded before him made his breath catch in his throat and he closed his eyes quickly, not wanting to watch. KC had leaned forward and kissed Clare. Eli felt angry and confused and heartbroken; he didn't stick around much longer. He turned on his feet and got back into Morty, quickly driving off.

Back inside the coffee shop, Clare's eyes were wide as she listened to Katie gasp. Clare had said something about how they should catch up sometime and the next thing she knew, KC's lips were on hers. She pulls back abruptly and her hand came in contact with his cheek with much force.

"What the _fuck_ was that?" Clare yelled, ignoring the looks from the people around her.

Katie gripped onto Clare's arm and glared at KC, "She has a boyfriend, dipshit. She has a perfectly happy life without you, so I suggest that you leave and never contact her again. Come on Clare, let's go."

The two girls exit the café and KC is left standing there, his hand on his burning cheek.

* * *

"You will not believe the night I just had," Clare says as she enters the apartment. Her eyes catch a hold of Eli's figure sitting on the couch, though the TV was off. Actually, everything was off. There wasn't a single light in the apartment on. Clare flicks on the light and Eli winces from the impact. There's a beer in his hand, but he has only taken about two sips of it. He can't bring himself to drink more; he wants to be sober when she tries to explain herself.

"Try me," Eli says stiffly. He stands up and places the beer bottle on the coffee table before turning to face her, his arms crossed. She eyes him suspiciously and places her purse down, though her coat stays on.

"Are you okay?" She asks softly, taking a few steps towards him.

He takes a step back and she stops.

"Yeah, yeah; I mean, why wouldn't I be? I mean, it's not like my girlfriend cheated on me with an ex of hers who – get this – cheated on her, as well."

Clare narrows her eyes and opens her mouth slowly, "What are you talking about? I didn't cheat-"

"Don't you fucking _dare_ try and deny it; I fucking saw you!" Eli yells, taking a step closer to her and pointing a finger her way. He's red in the face and she takes a deep breath. If this were going to go the way she wanted it to she needed to stay calm in order for him calm down as well.

"Eli, you've got it all wrong-"

"No, Clare, I don't think I do. "

"Okay, Eli, you need to calm down."

"Calm down? How the fuck do you expect me to calm down when I caught you sucking your ex's face off? Is he the only one? Or are there more that I haven't found out about yet?" Eli's voice was harsh and Clare flinched slightly. But she was done being calm now. He was crossing the line and she felt the need to defend herself.

"You think I'm some fucking whore, Eli?" Clare asks as she walks towards him slowly, eyes narrowed and voice dangerously angry. She felt very offended; how could he even _think_ that she would cheat on him? Does he not know who she is?

"You know, I actually thought that you felt the same way about me as I do you, but apparently not because you seem to like fucking around with other guys, too. Tell me Clare, who else's dick have you sucked?"

That's when her hand came up and slid right across his face, a loud echo of pain bouncing around the room. She had slapped him.

"Fuck you, Eli!" She yells with tears streaming down her cheeks. She shakes her head at him and turns on her heels, throwing the door open and slamming it behind her as she exits.

Eli runs a hand through his hair as he lets out an aggravated sigh. He rubs his face with his hands, groaning with anger. He picks up the beer bottle and throws it against the wall harshly, yelling with hurt in his voice. He's crying now. He's crying because he's angry and hurt and sad and heartbroken and devastated; he feels betrayed and exhausted.

But then there is a loud ringing coming from Clare's purse. He stares at it as it sits on the floor next to an unopened box of his and waits for it to stop. And once it does, he sighs, though it wasn't a mere two seconds before it started ringing again. He let it go to voicemail once again, his eyes glaring daggers at it until it stopped ringing.

And then it just beeped, and that was it.

He chewed on the inside of his lip, contemplating his decision. That's when he stands up, wipes his tears and heads for her purse. He reaches inside and grabs her phone, clicking on the new text message.

It's from KC.

Eli laughs miserably and then decides to read it. He wanted proof that he was right.

_Hey, I hope you don't mind, I got your number from Katie. But you won't answer my calls, which is understandable. Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have kissed you. I deserved that slap. I just want you to know that I'll leave you alone; you've made it clear that you're happy with your boyfriend. He's a lucky guy. Goodbye, Clare. _

"Jesus Christ," Eli curses. He stares at the text, reading it over and over until he comes to realization; Clare hadn't cheated. She was telling the truth. And he had called her a fucking whore.

That's when he dropped the phone and ran out the door faster than Clare had. Realizing taking the elevator would take too long, he headed straight for the stairs. He ran as fast as he could, slipped once and nearly fell multiple times afterwards, though he didn't slow down. Once he made it outside he scanned left and right, his hands tangled in his hair as he mentally prayed to the God he didn't believe in that he wasn't too late. It was raining, but he didn't seem to care as he stood there in a t-shirt and jeans. He wasn't even wearing shoes and his feet were freezing, but he didn't give a damn. He turned around in a circle, his eyes skimming the area around him. And that's when he stopped in mid turn; she was crossing the road.

"Clare!" He yelled, the rain droplets hitting his lips.

She stops and turns to look at him, her arms curled up around her body. Her curls are a matted mess as they stick to her face, her lips slightly quivering from the cold. Eli runs to the end of the side walk and stands across from her, throwing his hands up in defense.

"I believe you," he yells above the rain and traffic.

She stands there and stares at him. She's cold and wondering what he was doing. It was clear to her that he had wanted nothing to do with her now and that he thought she was some kind of floozy. But he begins walking towards her, ready to take the blame for being such a dumbass.

But something catches his eye. There's a car driving a lot faster than it should and it's getting closer, and his eyes wide when he realizes that it's headed straight for the love of his life. He runs and his feet pat against the pavement desperately, moving as fast as they can to save her life. He can't lose her; not like this.

The driver is pressing down on the breaks desperately; the tires slip against the pavement longer than they should have, and the car keeps rolling.

And he reaches her, his hands pushing her back enough so the car misses her, though he wasn't as lucky. Clare's scream fills the streets and she places her hand on her chest, realizing that the car had stopped just in time. Eli's legs had been brought up as his bottom hit the hood of the car, though he wasn't deathly injured.

He slams his hand on the car's hood and curses at the driver, yelling how he should be more careful and watch where he's going. He slides off the car turns to her with shaky hands because he's scared and sorry and craving to just wrap his arms around her and hold her. He places his hand on her back and moves them off of the road and onto the sidewalk. She can feel his hand shake through her jacket and she turns to look at him.

Her arms are suddenly around him and her lip quivers as she cries into his shoulder. He holds her with his body and tries to hide the fact that he is, indeed, shaking. Her heart is still pounding with the adrenaline of almost watching the man she loves die before her. They were lucky. One of them could have died physically, and the other would have died mentally.

Clare pulls back suddenly when she realizes the fight they had been in and looks at him. He realizes the reason for her actions and sighs. She still thinks he's mad at her.

"I believe you," he says. The water on his lips slips into his mouth as he speaks.

She eyes him curiously, her tears being hidden by the rain pouring from above, "What changed your mind?"

"Your phone rang after you left, and when I didn't answer it for the second time, you got a text. And guess who? KC," Clare shifted on her feet slightly, looking confused as Eli explained. "He said something about getting your number from Katie. But he also explained why he shouldn't have kissed you and that you were right to slap him. He also mentioned that your current boyfriend is very lucky to have you, which he is, if you'll still have him."

Clare stares at the ground for three seconds, which feels like an eternity to Eli, and nods once. He scoops her up in his arms and kisses her with an _I'm sorry I'm such a dick_ kiss and she responds with an _I'll never hurt you like that_ kiss. The raindrops mix with their tongues as he enjoys the feel of her fingers tangled in his wet and tangle locks. They separate and Eli presses his nose to her cheek, his arms holding her body close to his. He ignores the fact that he's freezing cold because he's holding her and doesn't want to let go.

_Ever_.

"Can I ask you a question?" Eli asks against her skin. She gives a nod, her eyes closed as she starts to calm down. "Did you really slap him?"

She giggles softly and nods, "Right across the face." She pulls back abruptly and looks at him sadly, her finger poking his cheek softly. "I'm sorry," she says, referring to the slap he had received earlier.

Eli grins and shakes his head, enjoying the fact that his girlfriend had slapped KC.

He didn't care that she had slapped him during their fight; he deserved it.

"I love you so much," he whispers with a grin, and Clare can feel him shake. She moves his wet bangs out of his eyes and smiles, leaning in to kiss him.

"Come on, let's go back inside before you get hypothermia," she says once they break apart.

And even though she didn't say it back, Eli was okay with it. If he were her right now, he wouldn't want to say it back, either. He was a complete ass to her earlier and he knew she needed time. He knew she's still hurt due to the fact that he had pretty much called her a whore and accused her of cheating, so he was content with waiting until she was ready. He just wanted her to know how he feels.

He wondered just how much time she would need, though. Because, just like Clare the first few times he had said those three words to her, Eli was getting impatient.

But, he'd wait forever and a day for her.

He wraps his arm around her as they walk back to the apartment, and once they're inside, warm and wrapped up in a blanket on the couch, Eli looks at her.

"I'm sorry I doubted you. It was stupid of me to jump to conclusions before you had the chance to explain. I promise, the next time I catch you kissing someone else I'll let you explain before I kick his ass."

She knew he was teasing. She smiled at his apology and nodded once, though she said, "I doubt I'll be kissing anyone other than you any time soon."

"Clare," Eli said firmly. She looked at him and he stared at her lovingly, wanting her to know that he was truly sorry for what he had done. He hopes that one day she will forgive him. "I love you."

She nods and her lip quivers, tears soon flowing out of her eyes and down her cheeks. He opens an arm and she climbs into his side, crying into his neck. She was so upset at the fact that they had nearly broken up. Her life was so close to not having him in it and it killed her inside to even think about it.

His ears perk up when she stars singing softly, "_You are the way my heart beats, and you are the words my tongue speaks, and I will die if you leave me._"

And he knew, that in her own way, she had just told him that she loved him, too.


	8. The Eighth Way To Say I Love You

**So, I hope you all love me for this surprise that I have. This chapter… is NOT the last. There will be one more. SURPRISE MY LOVELY'S! :) **

**THANK YOU so much for the reviews! You guys are flipping amazing and make it worth writing this. I'm so glad you guys love this story so much. I love you guys and ugh, you're just so amazing I can't even. **

**Oh, and yes, I know how many times I added songs into this fic. I just always think of things that happen with music playing because I love music so much – too much. I may have a problem.**

**Also! I didn't re-read this so it probably sucks because I kind of wrote it really fast. So you may find like a million errors but whateva. I'll fix it later if I have to. **

**ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi. But I do own Eli's toothbrush. (Yes I know how weird that sounds.)**

* * *

_8. Say it deliberately, your tongue a springboard for every syllable. Over coffee, brushing your teeth side-by-side, as you turn off the light to go to sleep – it doesn't matter where. Do not adorn it with extra words like "I think" or "I might." Do not sigh heavily as if admitting it were a burden instead of the most joyous thing you've ever done. Look her in the eyes and pray, heart thumping wildly, that she will turn to you and say, "I love you too."_

* * *

"Are you going job searching today?" Clare asks while tying her hair up in a messy bun. She makes her way into the kitchen as she passes Eli on the couch.

"I was actually going to stay home with you today. If you don't mind," he states softly while turning the volume on the TV down.

"I don't mind," Clare says from the kitchen as she's filling the sink up with water. "The real question is would you mind helping me clean?"

She looks back at him with a smirk and he groans loudly before throwing himself into the couch face first. She laughs to herself and turns back to the sink. She turns off the water, walks over to the iPod doc she has in the kitchen and plugs in her phone, selecting a playlist. She returns to the sink and begins doing the dishes as her music plays through the speakers.

Eli lifts his head slowly at the sound of her music and watches her hips as they sway from side to side. He reaches for the remote to the TV and turns it off, deciding he would just lay back and enjoy the show. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he secretly enjoys watching her dance, even if she is cleaning. She may not know it but he thinks she can move her body very well; if she wanted to be, she could be a great dancer.

Not only that, he enjoyed just the simplest ways she moves her body. Whether if it's when she loses herself in a song and sings it as if she's the actual singer, the way she closes her eyes and feels the music, the way she sways her body in tune with the beat or the way she seems to be in her own little world when she dances. He enjoys it all, and this moment was no different.

"I know you're looking," Clare yells from the kitchen, wrenching Eli from his thoughts.

Eli smiles, "I'm not looking."

Clare smiles to herself, rinses off a plate and says, "Liar."

Eli sits up and folds his hands in his lap, watching her softly. He wasn't going to try and argue anymore; she had caught him. She knows him too well.

Once the dishes are done Clare realizes the song that's playing; _Infatuation_ by _Christina_ _Aguilera_. When she turns to look at Eli she notices the smirk on his lips; he knows _exactly_ how much she enjoys dancing to this song. She starts moving her hips according to the song and a grin appears on Eli's lips as she dances towards him. She's moving her head around and singing the lyrics, even though she knows she sound like a dying cat compared to Christina's voice. Clare dances without a care even though she thinks she probably doesn't even look half as good as Christina when she dances, either, though Eli would beg to differ.

She's right in front of him now, shaking her hips and running her hands all over her body, knowing exactly how much Eli is enjoying the show. And once the chorus hits, she steps closer to him and lifts one leg and kneeling forward until it's resting on one side of him, the other leg following in suit until she's straddling him. His hands move to her hips and his eyes are everywhere. She's rolling her head and flinging her hair around, her hands roaming her own body as her hips circle into his. He grunts softly and his hips thrust up instinctively.

She snaps her head to look at him and he's wide eyed when she reaches down to remove her shirt, throwing it to the floor. She grins seductively and places her hands on his shoulders, sliding them down his arms until she reaches his hands. She brings his hands to her body and presses his palms to her stomach, releasing her hands from his to let him do as he pleases. His hands roam her body greedily as she leans in to sing into his ear, her fingers tangled in his hair. She pulls on the strands roughly as her lips and teeth take over his neck.

His hands slide to her back and she sits up in his lap, and before she can do anything his lips are already tickling her flesh with kisses. She lets him nibble at her hip for a moment before gripping the back of his hair and pulling his head back, making him look up at her. His eyes are dark and she grins, slowly sitting back down in his lap, purposely shoving her breasts in his face.

The part she has been waiting for is finally coming up and she brings her lips to his ear, singing passionately, "_You adore me!_"

His fingers grip her hips and he lifts her into his arms before pushing them down to the floor, his body pressing against hers firmly. She's smiling up at him and singing to the song, but he's had enough. He leans forward and kisses her roughly, grunting into her mouth as she wraps her legs around his waist. She's full of pride because she's gotten exactly what she wanted; he's incredibly turned on. Did he really think all they would be doing today was cleaning?

Clare grips the hem of his shirt before pulling it over his head and throwing it to join hers. His hands pull down her booty shorts and before she can reach to remove his pants, one of his hands has already entered her panties and is touching her in incredible ways. She moans loudly and wraps an arm around his neck while she grips onto his back with the other. His hand is moving very fast against her as he smirks, enjoying the whimpers and moans spilling from her lips. He leans down to kiss her neck and before he can move away she's already slipped her hand in his pants. She found it very difficult to touch him while his jeans were on and swiftly unzipped them, pulling them down enough to free his length. And then she begins touching him, her hand lightly squeezing and rubbing. He turns his head and lets his forehead and nose rest against the side of her face, his breathing picking up the faster she moves.

He doesn't realize it but his hand has slightly slowed down against her, and so have her moans. She doesn't mind though, because the sounds he is making are worth the burning in her lower region. But when she moves her hand fast he realizes what has happened and moves his hand against her even faster than before. Her hand slams on the floor as her head tilts back, because he's adding just the right amount of pressure and touching her just the right way. His hot breath hits her cheek as she moans his name, crying out her approval as her hand increases in pace around him. His hips are thrusting into her hand softly and her legs are shaking from the intenseness of the position they are in.

"Fuck, fuck," Eli whispers against her cheek, grunting softly as he feels his finish approaching.

She lifts her hips against his hand and bites her bottom lip, feeling just how close she is to being pushed over the edge. And the closer she gets, the tighter her hand squeezes around him as she moves her hand up and down incredibly fast, squeezing the tip of him as much as she can. His eyes close and he thrusts into her hand once more, grunting his approval as he lets go. She's not far behind and when she does finish, she cries out his name beautifully and he grins against her face. She's shaking beneath him softly and her hand is gripping onto his shirt, not wanting him to move. He slowly pulls his hand away from her and she turns her head to look into his eyes, their breaths mixing.

"You really need to clean more often," he breathes into her, chuckling softly.

She giggles and rolls on her side to lean into him, her arm wrapped firmly around his torso.

"Can you do me a favor?" Clare asks softly. He hums as he pushes her hair away from her face. "Can you make us coffee? I don't know how or why but yours always turns out better than mine."

He barks out a laugh but agrees nonetheless, pulling up his pants and making his way into the kitchen. Clare watches him and sighs contently.

* * *

"Seriously, what is your secret? This is too damn good to not have some sort of drug or something in it."

"You caught me. I've been drugging your coffee for the past year and half, Clare. That's why you can't seem to get enough of me."

"God, you're so weird."

"Maybe. But I'm also yours, love."

He doesn't look up from the newspaper in his hands as he lifts his coffee mug up to her, as if they had just clinked glasses, and then brought it to his lips to take a sip. She watches him carefully and taps her index fingernail on the side of her mug. He sighs and closes the newspaper, throwing it on the table.

"I don't know why I even read the comic section anymore. It sucks." Eli takes another sip of his coffee.

She thinks of something out of the blue, and decides to test the waters.

"Want to watch Gossip Girl with me?"

Eli cracks his neck and nods, "Okay."

"You hate Gossip Girl," she accuses, her eyes narrowing.

He looks at her, confused. He thought she would have jumped for joy at his agreement, but the look on her face told him she wasn't actually looking to watch Gossip Girl.

"True. But I love you, and you love it. Therefore, I'll put up with it as long as it makes you happy."

She could hear the honest sincerity in his voice and looked down at her coffee. She smiles and nods once. He's beginning to say it more often and it seems to be getting easier for him, like he's getting use to the feel of the words on his tongue. She looks up at him and rests her head against her hand. She admires him for a moment as her index finger grazes the rim of her mug.

"You're honestly so amazing, you know that? Like, I just – ugh."

She's at a loss for words and Eli cracks a grin.

* * *

The two decided to close the curtains and turn off their phones so they could spend time together without any interruptions. They had popped in a few movies and took turns choosing them, bickering playfully about how the one's Clare chooses are predictable and the ones Eli picks are too gory. They laughed uncontrollably at one another, saying witty comments here and there and telling jokes every once in a while. Clare's head lays on Eli's lap and her right hand in interlaced with his left one, their fingers dancing and playing with each other every so often.

They watched quite a bit of movies; Clare would hide her face in her hands when a scary or gory part came on during one of Eli's movies and Eli would turns Clare's head to look at him so he could kiss her while the characters in Clare's romantic comedy would kiss. He'd rather kiss her than watch two overly dramatic actors kiss on the TV.

Clare suddenly lets out a yawn and Eli decides it's time to call it a night. They clean up partially and then make their way into the bedroom. Clare slips out of her clothes and digs in Eli's side of the closet before pulling out a Dead Hand t-shirt of his. She pulls it on and turns around to make her way into the bathroom, only to stop when she sees he's staring at her.

"That's my favorite shirt," Eli comments.

Clare looks down, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'll just choose a different one."

She turns half way, getting ready to put it back when Eli speaks up.

"No, don't. It's okay. It looks better on you then it does on me, anyways." He smiles at her and she can feel her cheeks burn as she sends him a smile of her own. "Why do you like wearing my shirts to bed?"

She clears her throat and turns to walk into the bathroom. "They smell like you," she explains.

Eli follows her into the bathroom and stands next to her as she grabs her toothbrush. She hands him the toothpaste when she's done putting some on her toothbrush, and he does the same, placing the tube on the counter when he's done. They begin brushing their teeth; she's looking at the tap and he's looking at her. She looks up at him as they continue brushing their teeth and she wonders what he's thinking. He finally looks away from her to spit in the sink and rinse his mouth, putting his toothbrush back where it belongs. She turns back to the mirror and continues brushing her teeth. Eli looks at her through the mirror before he moves his gaze to the back of her neck. She's holding he hair to one side, getting ready to spit in the sink when he leans over and places a kiss on her neck, making her freeze momentarily.

"I love you," he says and turns to walk back into the bedroom.

Clare feels her stomach flutter. She spits into the sink, rinses her mouth and then pats it dry with a towel. She shuts off the bathroom light before walking back into the bedroom and moving over to the bed, climbing under the covers. She sees Eli standing at the light switch, waiting for her to get comfortable before he turns it off. When the light is off and Clare is resting comfortably under the covers, he strides over to the bed.

And when he's fixing the covers over him, he turns on his side to face her in the dark and whispers, once again, "I love you." He wouldn't admit it but he secretly wanted to hear her say it. He desperately needed to hear it. He wanted to know what it would sound on her tongue as it flows from her lips.

Suddenly, the lamp flickers on and he opens his eyes to see Clare staring at him. She's sitting up and he looks at her questionably. She takes a deep breath. She's had enough of this little game, and by the look on her face, Eli realizes something is bothering her. So he sits up, as well.

She opens her mouth, getting ready to say something. He holds his breath; he's unsure of whether or not the words she's going to say will be good or bad.

"Get dressed. I want to take you somewhere."


	9. No One Ever Fell In Love Gracefully

**Wow. This is it. The final chapter! Well I'd like to thank all of you who read and reviewed this story. I love you all! You guys are amazing and I'm so happy you liked this. I actually never thought I would like writing this story so much. I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. Anyways, enjoy the last and final chapter! I would love it if you would leave me a review telling me your thoughts on this chapter! :)**

**This chapter is dedicated to **_**goldsworthys**_**. You'll understand why when you get to the last sentence. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi or **_**Wherever You Go**_** by **_**Ron**__**Pope (which you should totally listen to) **_**or John Green's quote, sadly. But I do own the whip cream on Eli's nose.**

* * *

"_I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once." – John Green. _

* * *

"Clare," Eli whines as she pulls him along the side walk. "Where are we going?"

Clare sighs, her eyes staring straight ahead, "You'll see."

There was a brief pause, Eli twisting his lips from side to side, before saying, "Are we there yet?"

"Christ, Eli. Just wait."

Eli didn't say a word after. He could detect the slight annoyance in her voice and decided it would be best if he stayed quiet. They continued to walk as the night air bit at the skin of their cheeks. Eli fiddled with his coat to wrap it tighter around him, but was interrupted when he bumped into Clare. She had stopped and was staring at something across the street. He turned to see what she was looking at and narrowed his eyes in confusion. She was staring at a coffee shop.

"You brought me out of bed at nearly one in the morning to get a cup of coffee? Clare, I could've made you coffee at home. After all I make the best, according to you."

His smirk dropped when she turned to look at him, her lips slightly pouted. "You don't remember?"

"What? Have we been here before?"

She twisted her lips to the side and nodded, removing her hand from his to wrap it around herself. Eli turned to look at the coffee shop again and concentrated. It was vaguely familiar. As he thought about it more, his face relaxed softly and he turned to her again.

"We came here one night when we first began dating," he stated softly.

She nodded and looked up at him, "Our fifth date, to be exact. Look, I wanted to bring you here because this place is special to me."

"You're not about to tell me this is where you took every other guy you've dated here on the fifth date, are you?"

Clare smiled a small smile and looked at her shoes, "You're the only guy that made it to date number five."

Eli stared at her for a moment, taking in her words. Then, he cracked a grin and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

"That's my girl!"

She giggles into his chest and wraps an arm around him, pulling back to pull him towards the coffee shop, "Come on."

Once they were inside Clare asked for the booth in the corner, near the window. Eli looked at her oddly; that table was occupied and there were plenty others available. But Clare had told him that she wouldn't settle for any table other than the one she requested. He stayed quiet. Once the man who was occupying the table got up and left, Clare made her way over to it happily and with a slight skip in her step. She wiped off the table with a napkin and then sat down, getting comfortable and shaking off her coat. Eli took a seat across from her and took off his coat as well, resting his arms on the table afterwards.

"I have to ask. Why must we sit in _this_ booth? There are plenty others just like this one."

"That's where you are wrong, Goldsworthy." Clare smirked. "This booth is _much_ different than the others."

"How so?" Eli raised an eyebrow.

"Because," she sat up straighter and folded her hands together over the table. "I didn't fall in love with you while sitting in any other booth."

Eli's face softened and his body relaxed. She was looking at him with such affection that he was sure he wasn't dreaming. Even so, he subtly pinched himself on the arm, just to make sure. Nope. He was definitely awake. And he had never been happier to be awake at one-thirty in the morning. He reached over and grabbed one of her hands and leaned forward, his elbows sliding against the cold table top. He brought her hand to his lips and held it there for a moment, his eyes closed. He just wanted to stay in the moment forever. He pulled her hand away from his mouth, though, but held it in his tightly as he laid it on the table between them.

"May I ask how you came to this conclusion?"

She smiled, "You're going to think it's stupid."

He grinned, "I can assure you, I will not. Please tell me. Every detail."

She took a deep breath and nodded once.

"Okay, well we were sitting here on our fifth date, and we had ordered hot chocolate and shared a plate of fries. Believe it or not, I even remember the song playing at the time; _Wherever You Go_ by _Ron_ _Pope_. You were talking about something and you paused to take a sip of your hot chocolate. But when you put the cup down and continued to talk I noticed there was some whip cream on your nose." She laughed softly and looked down at the table top. "I thought about telling you but decided not to, because you were so oblivious to it and you kept talking. I only smiled and nodded my head as if I was listening to your story, but really, I wasn't. I was too busy focusing on how cute you looked."

She smiled softly, "But then you scratched your nose and took notice of the whip cream. Your eyes zeroed in on it and you went cross eyed for a second before you wiped it off with a napkin. I remember smiling at you because I had known it was there, and you laughed with a shake of your head and I knew. My heart dropped into my stomach and my breath caught in my throat and I felt like I was going to vomit, and I knew I had fallen in love with you."

She didn't look up right away but she knew he was staring at her. She didn't feel nervous or embarrassed; she just wanted to give him time to let it sink in. But Eli had had enough time to let it sink in and it was engraved in his brain before she even caught her breath after her little speech. And suddenly he could recall the night. He remembered every detail as much as she did; although he couldn't remember how the song went or even sounded like, and he gave her props for remembering that tiny detail. But he remembered everything else about that night. Even the way it ended.

"That was the night we made love for the first time," He whispered softly.

She blushed, "Do you honestly think I would have let you even touch me like that if I wasn't in love with you?"

He laughed, "The world makes sense now."

Clare rolled her eyes, "Could you stop making jokes? I'm trying to tell you that I love you. That I'm undoubtedly, incredibly and uncontrollably in love with you."

Eli grinned and sat back into the seat of the booth. He pushed his feet far under the table until his legs were tangled with hers. He sat there for a moment just smiling at her, her own smile mirroring his. But he couldn't take it anymore and he stood and leaned forward, over the table, his hands gripping the sides of her face as he kissed her. Boy, did he kiss her. She felt as if the room was spinning, the kiss was so passionate. He would only break away for a second to catch his breath before his lips would be pressed back to hers.

When they finally separated, Eli leaned back into his previous position and stared at her with his signature smirk.

She sighed lovingly, "God, I love you."

His smirk transformed into a childish smile and whispered, "And I you."

But then she stood up on the seat and he watched, loving the way she glowed with joy. There were only about two other people in the café other than a few waiters and waitresses. But even so, Clare smiled brightly as she tilted her head back and opened her arms, closing her eyes.

She yelled, "I LOVE ELIJAH GOLDSWORTHY!"

He laughed for quite a while, his hand clutching his stomach as she said it over and over again. She turned to another customer and asked, "Did you know I love this man?"

The woman had a lap top on her table; she couldn't have been more than thirty. She looked up from the screen and smiled, "I do now," and then returned to her work.

Clare sighed happily and fell back into her seat, leaning back against the seat, mimicking Eli's position.

Eli grinned at her, "God I love this booth." He turned to one of the waitresses walking by and asked, "Could we get two hot chocolates and one plate of fries, please?"

He turned back to her, his cheeks hurting from the permanent grin on his face. He placed his arms on the table and leaned forward, daring her to come closer. She stared at him for a moment with a beautiful smile; she felt so much better now that she had told him. She wasn't sure why she had held it in for so long, but was so glad that she had, finally, told him. She mimicked his position and leaned forward as well, their faces a mere inch apart.

"Your turn," she smiled wide.

He pushed his eyebrows together, "My turn?"

She nodded and bit her lip. "Tell me the moment you fell in love with me."

Eli looked down and laughed softly, "If you thought yours was weird, just wait until you hear mine."

Clare sat up straighter and waited patiently for him to start. She felt a bit eager. He had told her he loved her multiple times and the things he absolutely adores about her, but not once has he explained the moment he fell in love with her.

The waitress came back and placed their hot chocolates and the plate of fries on the table, smiling before leaving them alone once again. Clare grabbed a fry and munched on it as she stared at Eli.

Eli cleared his throat and began speaking. "It was, um, our third date. It was just after a movie and we were walking back to the car. And well – God you're going to think this is the weirdest thing ever, but you um, you… well, you sneezed. You looked shocked afterwards, like you didn't even know it was coming, and apologized, though I laughed it off. And I thought it was most adorable thing ever and I just knew. That was the moment I fell in love with you."

There was a brief pause between the two. Eli didn't even look up from his hot chocolate until she spoke.

"I sneezed."

"That is correct."

She barked out a laugh as her head fell onto the table top. Her hands reached out to grab his and he chuckled along with her, their fingers slowly intertwining. When she lifted her head to look at him, he noticed the wide smile on her face, making him feel more relaxed.

She shook her head, "It's never like this in the movies. No one in the movies falls in love because of whip cream or a sneeze. It's all bullshit, really. God, I love you."

"Please don't stop reminding me,"

Standing to her feet, Clare made her way around the table to slide in the seat beside him. She wrapped her arms around his torso, his arm wrapping around her shoulders, and rested her chin on his shoulder. He looked at her and ran his thumb on her cheek softly.

She kissed him then and, against his lips, muttered, "I love you. Oh God do I love you."

The grin on his face never faltered as he kissed her passionately, his hand holding the back of her neck to make sure she wouldn't slip away from his grasp anytime soon. When they separated she reached for a fry and popped it into her mouth. Eli stared at his hot chocolate, holding her close to him. He looked down at her to see she's munching hard on the fries and smirked to himself. He tilts her head back so he could reach her lips, tasting the salt on them. He pulled back and smiled, kissing her nose softly.

Eli sighed contently and leans back into the seat, pulling her with him, muttering, "Totally worth the wait."

She giggles and reaches up to shove a fry in his mouth, both of them laughing when he bit her finger.

* * *

The two took a cab home. They were both extremely exhausted and couldn't wait to climb under the covers of their bed. Clare had quickly changed and jumped in bed before Eli had time to slip off his shirt. He flicked the light off and took off his jeans as he made his way to the bed, clad in only his boxers as he joined Clare under the covers. Clare was facing away from him and he was too tired to be uncomfortable, so he turned to lie on his stomach, his arm bent as his hand lay under his cheek.

Yawning tiredly, Eli whispered softly into the air, "I love you, Clare."

The room was quiet for a minute. He figured she was asleep and closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep himself. Suddenly his bent arm was being lifted and Clare stuck her head under it, her nose touching his as she let his arm rest on top of her head. She wrapped her arm around his waist and held him close, kissing his cheek.

Taking a tiresome breath, she whispered, "I love you, too, Eli."

And right before he slipped into unconsciousness, he said, "I'm going to marry you someday."

She shuffled as close to him as she could get and breathed through her nose, her fingers drawing lazy designs on his side.

She sighed lovingly, her dreams beginning to take over, "I'll hold you to that."

And that night they fell asleep the way they fell in love; slowly, and then all at once.


End file.
